


What She Writes (between the lines)

by sabrinaavila



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV), wayhaught - Fandom
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-05
Updated: 2016-09-05
Packaged: 2018-07-21 18:57:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 81,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7399759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sabrinaavila/pseuds/sabrinaavila
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Waverly Earp is a famous writer having a hard time dealing with her fans and Wynonna Earp bullies her into getting a private security team. Now she's forced to deal with her two bodyguards, Xavier Dolls and Nicole Haught</p><p>or</p><p>That celebrity - Bodyguard classic</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So this kind of is my first attempt at writing fanfiction and english is not my first language so yeah... Hope you like it! Feedback is welcome. And you can find me on my tumblr itsalltoo.tumblr.com

1.  
Waverly sighted. It was almost impossible talking her sister out of something when she had her mind set on it, but for the thousandth time she would try again

"I'm not gonna get a security detail Wynonna, I do not need a bodyguard. I'm a writer, not one of those celebrities" Waverly said patiently as she watched her sister pace around the room checking her schedule. 

"You're not a writer, you're the writer." Wynonna said as she pointed to a pile of fan letters set on a corner, annoyed by her sister's humility "For someone so smart you're just being plain dumb right now"

"And you're being a five year old" Waverly tried to lighten the mood with a little joke, failing miserably

"Whatever, you do what you want but don't come calling me when you inadvertently end up in trouble because you didn't want to get a bodyguard"

And with that Wynonna left the room, slamming the door on her way out as to ensure that everyone knew just how frustrated she was, and Waverly knew why, everyone knew why. And despite the fact that she hated upsetting her sister Waverly didn't see the need for a security detail of any sort, she was a writer and writers do not need that. However it’s true that she wrote one heck of a title, that's been getting praised by both critics and audience and that has been breaking records after records and getting her an incredible visibility, much of which she did not ask for, which led to having a large - and growing on a daily basis - fan base. But Waverly wanted to feel like Waverly, the little nerd girl who liked to study mysticism in every culture and who would rather find out about the monster under her bed than to run away from it, so it made sense that she would keep some sense of normalcy in her life by not having her every move watched by a stranger, regardless of how professional that person was. So she decided to push past her guilt for hurting her sister and just focus on the task at hand, listening to Gus telling her their next move on the promotional tour. 

/

"So, I suppose this is what we have for the next four weeks" Gus said after what seemed like a lifetime of detailed explanations as to why and where and what she'd be doing with the next month of her life

"Sounds like a plan" Waverly said with less enthusiasm than she would've wanted to showcase  
"I know it sounds like a lot, but you'll get the hang of it and..."

"And it's in my best interest to make sure my books keep being a huge success" Waverly interrupted the already old dialogue "you don't have to tell me that, I already know"

"Okay then, it's seems like we've reached an agreement that will make the publishers very happy. I should leave you to your peace and quiet" Her manager said as she gathered her things, leaving a detailed plan for Waverly to look at and left the big Earp apartment. 

It was not that she didn't like her job, she did, very much so, few things made her feel as special as listening to a young girl telling her how her books and her characters made her overcome some fear or insecurity or even helped them when they had a bad day. Waverly grew up being pushed around and bullied at school and she had her fair share of bad days and writing was her safe place, where she could pour her heart, mind, soul and pain without fearing for her safety or fearing someone would make fun of her. But she didn't want to be a celebrity of any kind, she didn't want paparazzi and fans waiting for her wherever she went, she didn't want to attend eight different talk shows, fifteen book signings and ten fan conventions within two months, she just wanted to write her books and make people happy. And it didn't seem to matter how much she planned and planned and planned, as the days went by she seemed to get a more chaotic and messy schedule, leaving very little room for her own happiness. 

The weight of her responsibilities was too much for her, so before she could think things through she picked up her coat, her car keys and her purse and started to drive towards the place that was pretty much like home to her, the coffee shop near her childhood house. Waverly knew that Shorty would always welcome her and her sister at his cafe with a warm hug and whatever else they might need at the time, the man was somewhat a father to them since their real father was a war photographer and would almost never be at home. Not that she should complain, her father's job was what gave them a good and stable life, never needing for anything, well anything other than his fatherly presence. So whenever she felt like the world was changing too fast, Waverly would go there to feel like home. The place was quiet as she opened the door, she should've expected to see that, it's not like a local coffee shop could compete with the Starbucks across the street, but Shorty was there with a warm smile and an attentive ear as he listened to one of his regulars talk about how hard it was to deal with his teenage daughter. Waverly couldn't help but smile because of how at ease that simple action made her feel, so without wanting to intrude and spoil the exchange she took a sit by the corner, in a rather excluded table, where almost no one could see her, and lazily started to type the next paragraph of her next book when she felt someone touching her shoulder. 

"What's the chance that you might actually be Waverly Earp" The teenager said with very little confidence in her voice

"Hi, I'm Waverly Earp indeed. And you are?" Waverly smiled 

"I'm Spencer" the girl giggled nervously "I can't believe this is really you, I absolutely love your books! Purgatory: Revenants was such an amazing book"

"Thank you very much, I'm glad you enjoyed it" Upon hearing her book's title Waverly set her professional mode on

"I have a copy of it in my bag, would you mind signing it for me?" The girl asked hesitantly

"Sure thing darling!" And after signing the book and taking a picture with the girl they said their fair wells and she was left to her own devices

"Well I'll be damned if it isn't the one and only Waverly Earp" Shorty said in a exited tone mimicking the teenager's behavior 

"Is there anything you'd like me to sign for you sir?" Waverly laughed 

"I've missed you kid" he smiled "How's being a celebrity treating you? I haven't seen you in a while"

"I haven't had the time to come by, in between finishing this book and doing all the publicity required for the last one" Waverly sighted "I should come by more often, I'm sorry"

"Oh kiddo, it's alright. I'm very proud of you for putting yourself out there and doing what makes you happy. And I know how much you love writing, and clearly those amazing books of yours are giving you the recognition you deserve" Shorty passed her a warm cup of coffee

"Amazing books? Have you read them?" She asked hesitatingly

"Oh yes I did. And they're really good, I'm glad you're putting your talent to good use. I'm really glad you're not stuck in here with me" he smiled and walked away

Waverly knew the man would always believe in her, even if she wouldn't, so it shouldn't have come as a surprise when he stated that he had in fact been keeping up with her work over the years, but it did, it still came as a shock to her that people actually were entertained by her writing and her characters and interested in here. But hearing her fatherly figure show his support for her work, added to the warm coffee in her hands was enough to give her inspiration to keep writing the chapter at hand, and whenever those waves of inspiration would come Waverly would forget about everything around her. That's why it wasn't until the cafe was surrounded by fans and paparazzi that she noticed her rather scary situation. Turns out the fan from before tweeted her current location and now the entire city was trying to get a glimpse, or maybe a piece, of the writer. 

Waverly felt the air being sucked out of her lungs and within second of noticing her situation she started panicking. She should've seen this coming when she talked to the fan, she should've seen this coming when the group started forming outside the cafe, she should've seen this coming a mile away but she was so focused on her writing and on the sense of normalcy that she ignored every sign that things were going to get bad. But more importantly, she should've listened to Wynonna when she tried to warn her about her current celebrity status, it was indeed a childish and petty move to think that her sister was just being an overprotective ass. She should've. But now Waverly was trapped, Shorty's was being damaged and her safe place was no longer a secret. It was indeed hard to breathe, to keep her thoughts in order, to try and figure out a way out of that mess of a situation. Breathe in, one, two, three, four, five, six. Hold, one, two, three, four. Breathe out, one, two, three, four, five, six. Repeat

Even though it looked like Shorty had taken some control of the situation, managing to keep them outside of the cafe, Waverly typed as fast as she could a text to the one person she knew would be able to get her out of there. It really didn't matter how tough and unattached Wynonna wanted to seem, Waverly knew her sister would always do everything in her power to make sure she was safe, so after a few "I told you so" texts, Wynonna was on her way and with reinforcements. It took the police about five minutes to arrive and contain most of the mob outside Shorty's and it took Wynonna ten more minutes to come blasting through the back door before dragging Waverly out of the cafe, thanking Shorty's for acting so quickly, and driving them like a maniac back to their apartment downtown. When they were safely behind locked doors the older Earp took a good look on her sister before dragging her to a tight hug. 

"I don't care how much you hate it, I'm calling Nedley and getting you a security detail" Wynonna said leaving very little room to protest. 

"You were right" Waverly said in a defeated voice

"I'm sorry I was what?" the troublemaker sister seemed shocked by the admission

"You were right Wynonna. I do need a security detail as soon as possible" the writer said more tiredly than anything

"I'm calling Nedley"

"Okay"

/

"So, the Black Badge Unit is a firm specialized in private security, meaning, our employees are trained to make sure you're safe at all times" Nedley explained for the third time "Which means that, should you hire my firm, we'll develop a detailed plan to keep you safe and unharmed at all times, including every single one of your upcoming events and wherever you seem fit"

"So 24/7 sounds perfect" Wynonna interjected 

"Okay then, we'll have at least one employee with you at all times wherever you go" Nedley said calmly 

"And how fast can you arrange a team for my sister?" Wynonna said again without allowing Waverly to speak her mind

"I have a team of well-trained ex-military men that can be here within the hour" Nedley said without much fuss making Waverly believe him and her sister had been discussing this arrangement for a while

"That sounds good to me" Wynonna said

"That doesn't sound at all good to me" Waverly finally spoke up

"What's not to like little sis?" Wynonna said in annoyance 

"First of all I do not want ex-military private security, you're supposed to help me deal with large groups of fans and not with a terrorist attack. And secondly I do not wish to spend all my time with people I've never met before. And lastly, how very sexist of you to not include women on that group" Waverly said in one breath

"Well Waverly, I'm so..." Nedley seemed to rethink his words and chose to go a different path "We do have a simpler team, but we're still training them"

"What are their previous experiences?" Wynonna asked

"Dolls is an... ex US Marshal agent, and... Haught is... an ex-cop" Doc said while going through their file on his tablet

"Two isn't enough to keep eyes on her 24/7" Wynonna tried to dismiss the untrained team

"They sound good" Waverly said before turning to her sister "And two is just enough since I do no plan on needing them when I'm asleep, at our home, with you and your guns on the other room or when I'm at hotels, with their own security teams"

"Fine. When can we meet them?" Wynonna dismissed the defeat choosing to enjoy the fact that her sister had agreed to at least two. 

"I can have them in here tomorrow" Nedley said

/

It was six in the morning and Waverly was already up and running, making coffee for herself and her sister and cleaning up the kitchen, she had had a hard time sleeping that night, she hated feeling powerless and she hated even more how easy it was for her to panic, so she would wake up every ten minutes or so after dreaming about the mobbing. She wanted to call Shorty and apologize for causing so much trouble, but she knew the man would dismiss it like that was no big deal and tell her not to worry, which would make her feel even more guilty, so she sat on simply writing him an apologetic email with the offer to pay for whatever expenses that might have been caused by her fans. She was finishing writing to the cafe owner when she heard an unexpected knock on the door. Her first instinct was to start panicking again but after a quick glance at the apartment's security camera Waverly calmed down and went to answer it. 

"Hello" Waverly said as she opened the door revealing two figures in matching black clothes

"Hello ma'am" the tall redhead said professionally "I'm Nicole. Nicole Haught and you are Waverly Earp, if I'm not mistaken" Waverly felt the woman's eyes on her and couldn't help but feeling self-conscious at the action 

"Yes, that would be me" the woman did not take her eyes of Waverly for a second and since she didn't seem keen on continuing the conversation she decided to talk to the other figure before she died of self-consciousness "And you are?"

"I'm Xavier Dolls ma'am. We're your black badge team, mister Nedley said we should report to you this morning in order to get our schedules and responsibilities" the man took a few seconds to check his watch before continuing "I'm sorry if we came too early and woke you, we wouldn't mind coming back later" 

"Or you could invite us inside and we could check your current security system while you go back to your beauty sleep" the woman said making Waverly realize she was still in her pjs and making her hate herself a little bit

"You can come in, I'll go change and I'll be back in a minute" Waverly said before disappearing to her room.

It was as clear as day that Wynonna was very serious about her desire for a security detail as soon as possible but it was strange that Nedley would send her team at this hour when he knew both the party girl won't-sleep-until-daylight Wynonna Earp and the writer-on-creative-vacation wouldn't be up yet. But hey, maybe it was the need to "protect and serve" from Dolls or the enthusiasm from Haught that made them show up so early in the morning. Maybe it was just the fact that she did not make a good first impression of herself because of her rather short pink pjs and rabbit slippers or maybe it was simply the realization that they would probably see more of her dressed like this, either way Waverly felt awkward for having two complete strangers being now a part of her every day.  
She changed into something less revealing and got back to the kitchen to finish her coffee before pouring one cup for herself and one for each of the black badge team. She walked back to the living room trying to think of a better way to address them, going through every single word she could think of from employee to friends and settling on guests, at least for the moment. Waverly found Dolls sitting on his on at the table, writing stuff down on a tablet, which she could only assume were notes on how unprepared she was for a celebrity or how messy her apartment was, but before she could think any further on his actions, the man started to speak to her. 

"It'd be very helpful if you walked us through your schedule ma'am" he said without turning to face her

"I think that would be about right, but shouldn't we wait for your partner? I got you guys some coffee" Waverly tried to mimic his professional tone despite how surprised she was that he noted her presence

"You needn't wait for her, she's right here Miss Earp" The woman spoke from behind her causing Waverly to jump a little "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to scary you, I should've made my presence known"

"It's alright, I just don't function properly without some coffee in me" Waverly tried to dismiss the woman's worry and guilty "Shall we start then?" She said after all three of them had their own cups

"If you don't mind" The US Marshall said nonchalantly

"So, for the next four days I'll just stay at home enjoying some quality time with my sister and trying to get some writing done, so you guys can use that time to prepare yourselves or do your thing" the writer started to spill out the words trying to sound more sure than she actually was of what she was doing

"That's good, I suppose one of us can stay with you in case you need to go anywhere while the other draw the plan for the more busy days" Dolls said as he continue to write stuff down on his tablet

"Okay. After that I start a crazy month with lots of events including some very packed fan conventions and stuff like that" Waverly continued while she paced through the papers her manager had shown her the day before

"Would you mind if I take a closer look at those?" Dolls pointed to the schedule in Waverly's hand picking it up when she nodded "Those are certainly to be the more complicated ones but I think we can work stuff out with the security team from those events"

"Or you could just give me a gun and a taser and I could do the heavy work myself" Waverly tried to make a joke gaining nothing from the man but a disapproving look while the woman looked rather amused

"I'm fairly certain you can keep yourself out of trouble Miss Earp" Haught said calmly as she drank another bit of her coffee and looked deeply into Waverly's eyes "But why don't you let me keep you safe?" Waverly took a deep breath and sipped on her cup of coffee, for some reason she knew that woman would most definitely take good care of her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading the first one and showing me your support in such an amazing way! This time I used one beta reader and triple checked everything in order to make this as pleasent as possible for you guys. Anyways, feedback are still very welcomed and i hope you like this chapter

2.

The first two days in the Earp apartment went by really smoothly, Wynonna seemed much more relaxed now that her sister had at least one bodyguard with her, and was even more pleased when she first met Dolls, although Waverly had a hard time believing that excitement was because of her new security team. Thankfully Xavier was the one selected to figure out their security plan for her upcoming events, leaving Haught to keep her company for most of the day. Not that she was complaining, the woman seemed to understand Waverly perfectly, leaving her alone to her writing most of the time but being around whenever the writer started to feel bothered by the loneliness. That was enough to make Waverly ease into their work relationship.

She was supposed to spend some quality time with Wynonna before she had to travel and not see her for over a month, but now that Waverly was safe and sound her sister seemed more inclined than ever to spend all of her nights out clubbing with her friends, returning home early in the morning and sleeping through the day. But that was Wynonna. The woman had a lot of potential and once she actually was interested in being someone other than the heir to the famous photographer Wyatt Earp, but that one night destroyed all of her hopes and dreams and made her shield herself with sarcasm and absence. Even with that, she still was always checking out on her sister, either it was by making sure the fridge was full and so was their home bar or by being all up in her Black Badge team's business. Waverly still felt quite lonely whenever she'd wake up to an empty house or eat lunch alone because Wynonna was deep asleep next door.

After two days of drowning herself in her book and deciding to stop worrying about her sister, Waverly decided that she needed to leave her room and do something just for fun for a change. She walked out of her room and was surprised to find Haught standing by her front door, so focused on something on her work tablet that she barely noticed the writer. But Waverly sure did notice her. Nedley said that this team was still in training and although none of them would show any sign of uncertainty, Haught always seem to triple check everything and to try to sink in everything she could about Waverly and what she usually did and who she hang out with. This time wasn't any different, even though she couldn't confirm it, Waverly knew Haught was reading yet again the details of her schedule and how the Black Badge team was supposed to keep her safe and unharmed. It warmed the writer's heart to see the woman's dedication and before she could actually process her thoughts words were coming out of her mouth

"If you're so interested in getting to know everything about me, you could just ask me out for a coffee" Waverly said lightly

"I'm sorry Miss Earp, I was just revisiting some of information regarding your flight next Thursday" The woman said nervously as if she had been caught doing something wrong

"Anything interesting?" Waverly asked trying to lighten up the mood

"Not as interesting as that coffee sounded" Haught said leaving Waverly pretty much speechless since the writer assumed the proposal has gone unnoticed "Would you like me to get you some before you return to your work ma'am?" She laughed off the tension with her playful words

"I would actually like to ask you a personal question, if you don't mind" Waverly asks unsure of whether or not this whole flirting thing was a flirting thing indeed

"Ask away ma'am" Haught said while putting away the tablet and moving closer to the other woman

"What is it that you do for fun?" Seeing as Haught seemed very confused with the question Waverly continued "I'm bored sick in here and I seem to have a writer's block so I'm looking into things to clear my mind, hopefully something physical to blow off some steam" Waverly completed naively

"We'll Miss Earp, I can think of a lot physical activities to blow off some steam" and there it was, the flirting again and Waverly could feel her insides burning "But I like boxing and I have a pair of gloves in the truck of my car. If you like, I can teach you one thing or two"

"That sounds nice" Waverly tried to play it cool "if you don't mind teaching me"

"It'll be my pleasure" Haught winked

As Haught excused herself to go get the glove and a few protective garnets from her car Waverly couldn't help but smile at the woman and how nice she always was to her. Of course, Waverly did hire her team and it probably was on her behavior guideline, but the way she acted around her always made it seem like she was happy to be there, with her. Waverly was never really good at telling apart when people were simply being nice or had other intentions behind it, but she was willing to take a chance on Haught and try to befriend the woman, after all Waverly did need new friends in her life and it would be very easy to spend time with her bodyguard.

Haught came back a few minutes later and started to instruct Waverly on the basics of boxing, how to punch, how to protect her face, how to dodge a punch, how to stand and how to move. And after what seemed like hours - which in fact it was only forty minutes - Waverly deemed herself fit to try to fight her teacher. Although Haught was not wearing any of her protection gear, since she insisted her client wore them all, Waverly could not get one single punch in, instead, getting tickled every time her bodyguard saw an opening to attack, after all Haught refused to punch Waverly even after the woman had told her to fight like she meant it and they both settled on Haught tickling the writer instead. Despite her incessant attempts at studying and mimicking her opponent's behavior, Waverly found herself trapped under Haught's body while being tickled nonstop on the floor.

"Someone help me!" Waverly yelled playfully

"I've got you right where I wanted you Miss Earp" Haught laughed as she lunched another wave of tickles

"I give up!" Waverly yelled between a laugh and another attempt at freeing herself "I give up!"

"No you don't, you're just trying to trick me into going easy on you ma'am" Haught laughed

"Maybe you should stop tickling me and find out" Waverly tried to bargain her freedom

"Maybe you should make me" Haught teased and Waverly felt her insides melt and her face burn

"Nicole" Waverly tried to put her thought back in order before speaking again "Let... Me... Go!"

"Well here I thought my sister was being kidnapped or something" Wynonna appeared surprising both women and making them quickly recompose themselves "I'm glad to know this isn't that kind of restrained"

"I'm sorry ma'am, I was just trying to help Miss Earp through her writer's block" Haught said returning to her professional mode and making Waverly miss her playful self

"I'll bet" Wynonna completed "I'm glad you're having fun and making new friends little sis"

"Sure thing" Waverly said still unable to form a coherent sentence with more than two words

"And Haught, good thing you're teaching my sister how to protect herself. You two should definitely be hanging out" Wynonna winked before exiting the room as quickly as she had appeared

"I'm sorry ma'am if I overstepped here, it won't happen again" Haught said seriously, which caused Waverly's heart to break a little

"It's okay Nicole, really. It was nice to blow off steam and have some fun" The writer tried to dismiss the awkward moment, desperately trying to find the right words to calm her friend's worries and to convince her that she in fact would like to live in that moment

"I'm glad. But I should return to my duty, ma'am" and after helping Waverly out of the boxing gear without much talk that was exactly what the woman did

/

The next two days went by more silently than Waverly would've wanted and she couldn't focus for more than twenty minutes on her writing before her mind would go back to the very awkward silence between her and Nicole. She didn't want to blame her sister because she hadn't done anything wrong, but she couldn't help it after all she was friends with Nedley for years and that probably was the reason why Nicole pulled away so fast, the fear of getting report to her boss. So Waverly tried very hard for two days to get the playful side of her bodyguard back, without success and when Thursday arrived and it was time to get the whole team together so they could get in the plane and start the promotional tour, Waverly had finally given up.

The writer said goodbye to her sister, promising to text her every day with updates and asking her to behave and to take care of herself, and picked up her bag from the sofa before following Dolls out the door and into her car. Haught had gone to the airport sooner to get everything in order and to speed up their departure and left Dolls responsible for driving the writer to her flight where she awaited. Therefore, the drive was pretty quiet, the man talking only to assure they were in an understanding regardless how they would proceed for the next six weeks. Waverly decided it was in her best interest to get in professional mode at once so she could better prepare herself for the exhausting weeks to come and give the best outcome possible to her publishers and manager. When they arrived at the airport Haught accompanied them to the private plane, where Gus was already comfortably sat, and showed Waverly to her chair at the back, where her computer was already plugged in, in case she decided to work while they flew.

During the first half an hour or so of flying, Waverly talked to Gus about the promotional tour, trying to determine what to expect, especially regarding the Q&As, and what was the best way to answer most questions, but as soon as her manager's sleeping pills kicked in Waverly was left alone. She tried to write but the stress of her press tour wasn't letting her concentrate enough to do her characters justice, then she tried watching a film, again without success because every time the airplane would shake a little her heart would start pounding on her chest, so finally she decided to try to get some sleep. After a few minutes something in the corner of her eyes caught her attention, Haught might have thought she was asleep because the woman started to pack Waverly's things back into her bags, careful not to disturb her, before pulling her blanket over to cover her whole body, making sure she wasn't affected by the cold temperature inside the aircraft. Haught's hands lingered for a bit on Waverly's cheek, where the woman had just brushed off some stray hair, but before Waverly could combust with all the fire burning inside of her, her bodyguard returned to her chair at the other end of the plane. Just a small act of tenderness, but enough to make the writer feel at ease, so she quickly drifted into a heavy sleep.

/

The first fan convention was going smoothly and surprisingly well, Waverly and her team had arrived safely and were guided to where she would first sign copies of her book and then answer questions from the audience. The first part of her day involved a lot of praises to herself and Purgatory, a lot of gifts that would make Dolls sweat nervously every time and a lot of "who should I sign this to?", but Waverly couldn't complain, the fans were easy-going and she felt very respected and cherished, so as the day went by she started to ease into it and to smile more and more. Every once in a while she'd catch Haught looking at her, and she would've sworn the woman was looking at the way her lips would move when she spoke or smiled, she would've sworn the woman was looking at her because she was actually interested in her and not because she was supposed to keep her safe and, although the bodyguard would look away very quickly when she realized the writer had caught her, Waverly would catch her doing the very same thing again not five minutes later. The second part of her day was a little more complicated, she always had a hard time answering questions because she wanted to tell her readers that everything was going to be fine for their favorite characters but she couldn't risk spoiling the next book and upsetting her publishers. She had just masterfully dodged one of those tricky questions when the last fan of the day got hold of the microphone.

"Hello, I'm Aaron" the boy said shyly "And I've watched some of your interviews and you've said before that you write based on your experiences and the experiences of those around you"

"Yes, that's correct. I mean, it's a fantasy book with demons and all of that mysticism so it's kind of alternative universe" Waverly said before letting the boy continue

"So, given your family's tragic back story, would you say that the characters' constant suffering is a metaphor, if not a reflection, of your young self?" He said uncertain of his words and causing both Waverly and the audience to hold their breaths

"Un..." The writer tried to stop her mind from shuffling through memories she did not want to revive "I think..." she tried to get a hold of herself before answering the question properly "I've had some problems in the past and had to deal with a lot of shit growing up, and I think that made me a stronger person, so if you'd like to compare my growth with my characters' growth I think in some level that can be true"

Waverly smiled. The world was flashing through her eyes as memories of her nine-year old self sitting alone in the living room while she read the happy birthday postal card her dad sent her three months late played back in her mind. Waverly smiled. As the memories of her young self sitting alone in a bathroom at lunchtime on junior year forced their way back into her mind. Waverly smiled. As she remembered witnessing the hopeful look in her sister's eyes being slowly replaced by a detached look. Waverly keep smiling as the presenter finished the panel and she was led back to her car and as one of Haught's hands were in hers leading her inside her hotel room. And when Waverly was safely away from the public eye she stopped smiling and felt the first tear leaving her eye. Haught, who was standing by the door ran towards the writer and held her close for what felt like hours as she cried her eyes out before Waverly slowly pushed her away and spoke

"It's past your working hours Nicole, you don't need to stay"

"It's okay" The bodyguard said softly "It's not right to let someone cry alone"

"I'm sure there's some guy back home you should be talking to right now" Waverly said without letting go completely of the other woman

"There are no guys around me Waverly" at that moment, listening to Nicole speak her name for the first time, not addressing her as miss Earp or ma'am, Waverly was sure her name would never sound as perfect as it did when it slipped through her lips.

"I'm sure a girl like you has someone Nicole" Waverly asked intrigued

"I have a cat" She laughed "but she's with my sister and niece for now, so I'm all yours"

"I suppose you're stuck with this fuck up of a woman here then" Waverly smiled a little at the sound of the other woman's laugh

"None of those things are correct Waverly" Nicole let go of Waverly in order to caress the writer's hair "I'm not stuck with you and you're not a fuck up" The sincerity in her voice was almost too much for Waverly to take in although she had a hard time believing in it she could easily trick herself in doing so

"So knowing my family's history and everything regarding that you actually do believe I'm not a fuck up?" Waverly let herself fall on the couch as she waited for the woman's answer. Waverly had grown used to people knowing everything about her and her family and as she became more and more famous it was pretty much unthinkable that someone didn't know about it

"I must confess I don't know that much about you and your family" Nicole said, suddenly becoming very self-conscious

"Are you playing some kind of game with me? You're telling me you never read one gossip article about Wynonna? Or the Earps? Never heard of Wyatt Earp? Are you telling me you've never googled me before?" Waverly asked incredulously, her voice showing both her anger for what she believed was a joke being made at her expense and her disbelief

"I can't really tell if you want me to answer yes or no, but I truly haven't, it's none of my business and for all I care those gossip articles are mostly untruthful" Nicole sat by Waverly's side trying to showcase as much honesty as she could in her voice "Now if you want to tell me about your past, I'm all ears"

Waverly thought about it for a second, it was truly unexpected that the woman had never heard about her family, being that it was one of the most talked about scandals eight years before and that it was now resurfacing due to her current celebrity status, and she wasn't sure she wanted the woman to lose her sweet ignorance because that might mean she wouldn't look at her the same way again. But after considering it, Waverly decided it was for the best if, for once, someone heard her story from her and not from a gossip channel.

"My father was Wyatt Earp, he was a great photographer, probably one of the best. He was said to be one of the greatest talents of his generation. He started as a traveling photographer, taking pictures of exotic places and all of that, but during his travels he discovered that he had an eye for capturing people's truest emotions so he decided to put this talent to good use and became a war photographer and activist on human rights worldwide. Although he was never at home and seemed not to care that much about Wynonna and I, his fame gave us a good life, a very good life actually, we never needed anything in our lives" Waverly took a breath to make sure Haught was paying attention

"We used to look up to him you know? He fought his way to the top, fighting the odds against the small town boy, and I was proud of him. I wouldn't even care that he was never home, I mean I missed him like crazy and I always felt very lonely and probably would've felt even more lonely if it wasn't for my sister and Shorty. But I was so proud of him! I wore his last name with pride, even when I couldn't make many friends because they were all jealous of my family. He was kind of our hero, and that's probably why Wynonna decided she wanted to be like him, a war photographer. So one day she decided to surprise our father by tagging along with him in one of his missions and booked a flight without telling him anything. When she arrived, she found good old Wyatt striking a deal with the leader of a militia group so he could photograph their victims. Turned out he had been doing it for a while and that was how he always seems to get the scoop and the most shocking photos. Wynonna tried to turn around and leave right away but one of their men saw her and took her as hostage, she was on their captivity for sixty days before my father traded his life for hers" Waverly searched Nicole's eyes for any indication that she might run away but found none

"He knew the government wouldn't send help for him because they also were in bed with the militia so he took upon himself to make a video in which he told the whole truth and leaked it to the press. He was executed, as he had anticipated, but Wynonna came back home mostly unharmed. Our lives were never the same again, we were questioned for a long time while they tried to determine whether or not we were aware of our father's deals, and we were branded traitors by our neighbors. Since I was still a minor, Wynonna became my legal guardian and although she always took care of me, it was clear as day that she wasn't okay, she tried to drink herself into oblivion every night. We got a lot of money and became those celebrities heirs that the media is always talking about. They weren't so interested in me back then because I was only 17 and didn't really have a very busy life, so my name was kept out of most things, but Wynonna became the center of attention, being involved in scandal after scandal. After a few months the interest in us died down a little and Wynonna managed to get herself into rehab and I started college. Our lives were simple for a while, people seem to let go of dad's sin and we were treated as ordinary people, but it started to came back once Purgatory became a huge hit and people figured out I was the third Earp. And after that, I've had a few panic attacks in public and am now the main Earp on the news. And that's what you missed on the Waverly Earp show" she tried to laugh it off without much success

"Waverly" Nicole looked deep inside her eyes "You're not a fuck up" She held her hand, letting her thumb caress her palm "Life gave you some pretty messed up cards and you did your best with it. In fact you're one very strong woman and I'm honored to be in your life" Nicole finished

"So you don't think I'm a weirdo?" Waverly asked uncertain of where they stood because that was the moment when most people would leave her

"Oh, I think a lot of things about you Waverly Earp, but I don't think you're a weirdo at all" Nicole said sweetly making Waverly wonder if she had picked those words carefully or just accidentally used them

"That's good." Waverly smiled feeling a lot lighter but also feeling the shift between them "We should be heading to bed, it's late and we have an early morning tomorrow" she said in an attempt to ignore the heavy air around them

"If you don't mind, I'd like to sleep with you" Nicole suggested

"Excuse me?" The writer's brain could not fully process the boldness of her bodyguard's words

"I mean, it seems like you could use the company, after all you did have an intense day. So I was thinking that maybe I could sleep in the couch, right here, in case you need anything throughout the night" Nicole smiled making Waverly certain her words were not a mere mistake

"Yes that would be great. I'll go get you some blankets and pillows" Waverly said leaving the room but returning quickly "Thank you for tonight, thanks for staying with me when you didn't have to"

"I'm here for whatever you need Waverly, always" Nicole said in the most sincere tone

"Goodnight Nicole"

"Good night Waverly"


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so much for sticking with my story. I've been having so much fun while writing it and its very heartwarming to know that you guys are liking it as well. Again, feedbacks are welcomed here and on my tumblr!

3.  


After the incident at the Q&A on the first stop of her promotional tour, Waverly was very discouraged and worried to continue. If it wasn't for Nicole's support at that very moment, she wouldn't have gone through with it, it would go down as another one of the Earp's drama and she couldn't care less. The following morning, Gus showed up at her door looking very worried, as if she knew what the writer would do, and was blabbing about a new plan that involved less face to face time with the fans before she could give the writer a chance to say anything. Waverly let the woman talk for an hour about a new course of action and only then proceeded to tell her she was okay with following the previous plan. She would've felt guilty because of how the woman seemed to not have slept at all and how stressed she was, but upon hearing the little surprised gasp exiting her mouth when Waverly said she actually wanted to keep going, the little prank was worth it. After settling on which course of action to take, Waverly took a shower and dressed up before letting Gus accompany her out of her room and into the car, where both her bodyguards awaited in silence. The writer caught herself wondering if Nicole was okay, not that she seemed tired, on the contrary she looked very excited for the day ahead of them, but the woman had indeed spend the night on her very tiny sofa, making sure she was available in case Waverly needed anything. The thought made her heart speed up a bit. 

During the two weeks after that, the writer would proceed with her appointments as scheduled and she would always be accompanied by her manager, Dolls and Nicole. They were always by her side at all times making sure she could work under the best circumstances, either it was keeping the fans and paparazzi in check or making sure she didn't get more tricky questions. But, after the incident, things seemed to calm down, the fans felt closer to her after they finally heard her point of view about her past and how it had affected her and made her stronger, instead of reading about it on gossip outlets. Because of that, whenever they got a chance to speak to her, they would mostly thank the writer for giving them amazing characters which they could look up to and see themselves in and for being such an inspiration to them personally. Waverly loved the fact that she could give young teenagers a good and honest representation, she loved being able to give them hope that one day things would be alright, and whenever a fan would thank her for doing it, she'd feel complete. But she couldn't deny that what she looked up to the most on her days were the moments when she was alone with Nicole and the woman would drop the professional act and be her charming self. They had grown closer to each other after Nicole held her while she cried, but with every passing day, the writer felt more and more at peace by the redhead's side while the other woman seemed to smile more every time they were alone, so it didn't exactly come as shock when one day Nicole simply took all of her stuff and moved to Waverly's room.

"So tomorrow you have to be up at six for the press conference, then we have lunch and you finish your day with an interview at the local newspaper" Gus said before continuing "Dolls has been in touch with their security team so he'll attend to that earlier while Haught will take care of you"

"Take care of me?" Waverly laughed when she realized where her mind had gone

"Yes, drive you and make sure you don't end up in a messed up situation" She said calmly before getting interrupted by the door being opened

"So Waverly I was thinking that since I've been sleeping with you..." Nicole looked shocked to see the manager still in the room "Oh my god Gus, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt. I thought you guys were done"

"You're not interrupting, Haught" Waverly said amused by the situation "In fact, Gus was just talking about you"

"You were?" Nicole said surprised 

"Yes, I checked with Dolls and you're on Waverly duty tomorrow" Gus stated simply before taking a closer look at the bag by Nicole's side "But you were saying something about sleeping with Waverly?"

"Oh my god" The look of complete terror on Nicole's face made Waverly laugh loudly "That's not at all what I meant. I mean" Nicole tried to organize her thoughts before continuing "We’ve been sleeping together. Not together together, but in the same room. Miss Earp sleeps in her bed and I sleep on the couch" 

"Is that so?" Gus said actually amazed by how distressed the woman seemed

"Yes. I figured she could need something at night and I could help. Extra security, you know" The woman finished her ramble, giving up on trying to explain her words any further and completely making a fool of herself

"That sounds like a good and solid plan" Gus laughed before gathering her things and preparing to leave the room "You girls have a good night then"

"Waverly!" Nicole looked at her in complete disbelief as soon as the manager left the room and closed the door behind her "Couldn't you jump in and help me out?"

"And miss all the fun? I don't think so. And you were doing just fine, using very coherent sentences and elaborated words" The writer teased

"I hate you, Waverly Earp" Nicole said annoyingly as she moved to sit next to the other woman on the couch

"No you don't" Waverly stated simply "But you were saying something about sleeping with me or taking me to bed, I can't seem to recall which one" Nicole teased but blushed at the idea

"Buy me dinner first Earp." Nicole teased back, or she tried to "And what I was going to say was that since I've been spending every night on your couch anyways, why don't I bring my stuff to your room and give Dolls a room of his own?" Nicole said unsure 

"Well as long as you don't mind my pink pjs, I think I can make do with that" Waverly said 

"I have no problem at all with that ma'am" Nicole said before kicking Waverly out of the sofa so they could both get ready to bed 

/

Waverly smiled as she woke up without the sound of her annoying alarm for the first time in two weeks. She was unbelievably happy that morning, and it wasn't because the sky was in a vivid blue shade or because the sun was shining bright, it wasn't even because the birds were singing outside of her hotel window or because she had a free day ahead of her to spend it as she pleased. Waverly was happy because she hadn't felt like that in a long long time, completely and utterly at ease, like the world was at its rightful place and pace and everything in it was as it was supposed to be, and of course the fact that she had one beautiful day to spend doing whatever she wanted in Los Angeles was only helping her good mood. She got out of bed and walked towards the living room where she found Nicole sleeping peacefully on the couch, it crossed her mind that maybe she'd never get tired of waking up like that, and to avoid staring at her like a creep she decided to make them both some coffee before waking the woman up. While the smell of fresh coffee invaded every part of her hotel room, an idea popped out on Waverly's head and she immediately started looking for the information she needed. 

Waverly shook Nicole lightly while trying to hold a warm cup of fresh coffee steady on her other hand. The bodyguard didn't seem very keen on getting up of her warm nest of pillows and blankets, nevertheless Waverly was certain those sleeping conditions were in way adequate, maybe she could ask Gus to get her a room with two beds moving forward, but she'd have to make sure everyone knew it was a simple matter of logistics and comfort, nothing more. After a few more seconds of shaking Nicole the woman finally open her eyes and it did not miss Waverly how the woman's eyes looked brighter upon seeing her and how her lips curved in the sweetest smile she had ever seen. She gave her the cup of coffee gesturing for them to go to the table in the middle of the room where the hotel had placed their breakfast and Waverly noticed the fact that Nicole never stopped smiling, even when she looked away as to avoid the pinkness that was forming on her cheeks she could feel Nicole's eyes on her. They were just enjoying the peace and quiet when the writer spoke

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but I recall you saying you've never left town before you started working for me, right?" Waverly said without taking her eyes of the window

"Yes. I live a pretty uneventful life, Waverly" Nicole said as she sipped on her second cup of coffee

"So, you've never been to LA before?" The writer asked

"No ma'am" Nicole stated simply, curiosity as to where Waverly was going with the conversation started to grow on her

"Ugh I hate when you call me that" Waverly growled softly "But anyways, since it's my day off I'd like to go somewhere"

"Sure thing" Nicole said already reaching for her phone "Let me just call Dolls to let him know..."

"No Dolls." Waverly interrupted her "Let the man rest"

"So he can rest while I do all the work? I see where your loyalty lays, ma'am" Nicole teased and was overjoyed with the feeling of victory when Waverly simple shook her head

"Well, it'd be very awkward if I tried to take him somewhere since he's always the one telling me where to go" Waverly joked

"Welcome to team shut and do what he says" Nicole laughed "He's nice though. He's just making sure nothing bad ever happens to you. We both are" she said in a more serious tone "I just enjoy doing it my own way"

"I know" Waverly finally looked at Nicole "But as I was saying, I'd like to go somewhere tonight and I'd like to take you with me" It took all of her self-control not to run and hide in the bathroom but she stood there, patiently waiting for the other woman to respond and since no words seemed to come out of her mouth she continued "I think it's absurd that you've never been anywhere and seen anything other than our town and I'd like to change that. If you let me"

"I... I don't know what to wear" Nicole said as if that was a suitable answer to the invitation

"What?" Waverly asked shocked with the unexpected response

"I mean, should I wear casual clothes? Because I don't think I've packed many of those, perhaps one or two pairs, I think I have two jeans and a few plaids and maybe some t-shirts, but I’m not quite sure. Or should I wear something fancy like a long black dress? Because if that's the requirement I might need to do some shopping because I didn't think I'd be going anywhere fancy so I’m on hundred percent sure I didn’t pack any of those. Or should I wear my Black Badge uniform?" Nicole spoke way too fast and Waverly couldn't tell if the woman was one totally okay until she paused for a second before continuing "Wait, am I going as a friend, a bodyguard or something else? And where are we going?"

"I suppose somewhere in the middle of all that was a yes" Waverly joked 

"I'd go anywhere with you Waverly" Nicole said wholeheartedly 

"Oh." Waverly had to remind her respiratory system to keep working before continuing "We're going to a restaurant for dinner, I’ve been told it has a wonderful deck in which you can see a big part of the city. And yes Nicole, if you let me, I'd like this to be a date" Waverly gave up on trying to breathe as she watched every single emotion flush through Nicole's face, not sure what she was thinking 

"Okay. Black dress it is" Nicole said before getting up and walking towards the door leaving Waverly shocked and alone

Waverly wasn't completely sure what had just happened so she remained sited on her chair while she tried to process everything. After weeks of denying her evident crush on Nicole she had finally gathered up the courage to ask the woman out, and she had somehow said yes. But she had no clue of what she was doing, after all it never actually crossed her mind that she might like girls too, at least not until Nicole showed up. And now she had a date with the most amazing woman she'd ever met, who was going to wear a black dress and everything needed to be perfect for the night. Waverly started to hyperventilate before she saw the signs. She was excited, and she was looking forward to it, but she was afraid, oh she was terrified. For a second there, she thought it might not have been a good idea to do that whole thing during breakfast, but somehow she managed to keep herself at least one bit together, just enough to dial her sister's number. 

"Hey sis" Wynonna's voice made it quite clear that she had been woken up by the call "Do you know what time it is?" She asked in order to reaffirm the fact that there was no way she would've been awake

"Un" Waverly checked the watch around her wrist too panicked to be annoyed by her sister's laziness "it's ten thirty in the morning"

"Ugh whatever" Wynonna brushed aside her morning annoyance "What's up?"

"You had your fair chair of hook ups" Waverly stated simply

"Is there a question somewhere or is it just an insulting phone call?" She asked playfully 

"What do chicks dig?" Waverly said in the most fuckboy way possible 

"Hold up" Waverly could hear her sister shifting to a more comfortable position on her bed "Who have you been doing lil sis?" Although Wynonna seemed to be very entertained by the unexpected situation her tone was dead serious

"You know what, never mind. I'm good" Waverly tried to convince Wynonna and herself "Yes, I'm good. I can do this"

"Waverly I was joking" Wynonna said sensing how anxious her sister was "Tell me what's going on and I'll try to help you. Okay?" Waverly took a deep breath trying to calm herself down before finally coming clean to her sister

"There's this girl and I've had a crush on her for a while but you know me I'm not that brave to jump in head first. But she's nice and I asked her out, now I'm pretty sure she's out buying a pretty dress and I'm here freaking out because I have no idea what I'm doing" Waverly spoke so fast it seemed like it only took one breath for all the words to come out of her mouth

"Oh damn" Wynonna said amused by her sister's distress "Do I know her?" She asked curiously but before Waverly could say anything it all clicked inside her mind and the older Earp was practically screaming on the other side of the phone "Oh my god Waverly Earp! You have a crush on Haught don't you?"

"Yes" Waverly felt a smile starting to form on the corner of her lips at the mention of Nicole's name

"I knew it! The woman is a huge flirt and her name is Haught for crying out loud" Wynonna said excitedly and knowing her sister Waverly was pretty sure she was fist bumping the air "So here's what you're going to do"

/

Waverly spent the next two hours on the phone with her sister discussing pretty much everything about the date she had planned just that morning. Wynonna pointed out several times that she was very impressed that her sister knew the owner of a famous restaurant and that he was able and willing to get her the best table in the whole place in such short notice. Another thing she pointed out, to Waverly desperation, was the fact that she hadn't packed any high-class dresses and she, much like her date, should be going after something classy but sexy, in Wynonna's own words, to wear, but before the writer could start panicking again her sister introduced her to one magical thing called same day delivery. The older Earp listened to every single one of Waverly's questions and worries and helped her as best as she could through everything, from what dress to buy to which drink to order, refusing to answer only one question, what should Waverly do in case the date went very very well. To that, Wynonna simply told her to talk to Haught and if she didn't seem keen on having that conversation Waverly should just pack up and leave because she didn't deserve her sister. Calling Wynonna had been a great idea and Waverly felt more and more relaxed as time passed, but as soon as they hung up the phone the writer was left to her own fertile imagination. 

Although she had initially planned on spending her day in bed, alone, watching TV, Waverly felt incredibly bored and lonely after the first hour of doing nothing, well not nothing exactly, of counting down the time till her date. She was about five minutes into the fourth movies she was attempting to watch when a knock on her door caught her attention. She opened the door to find an inquisitive Dolls holding a very large box with what she only assumed was her new purchased green dress, but before she could act like a five-year old on Christmas morning, the bodyguard carried the box inside the apartment lightly pushing Waverly out of his way so he could make sure there was nothing to worry about inside the container, an excessive measure the man seemed very fond of. After making sure the box carried only the dress she had purchased, which Dolls seemed to approved, the bodyguard tried to excuse himself but was stopped by his very bored boss who insisted he stayed and had a cup of coffee with her, just something to keep her busy until she could actually start freaking out. The man wasn't a company half as bad as she had anticipated, he had picked up some really interesting stories about mysticism on some cultures during his time with the Marshalls and the writer would most certainly added them to the Purgatory series as soon possible. The conversation was going so well that Waverly didn't notice the time until her phone beeped with an incoming text message from Nicole checking in if they actually were on for the night. If her bodyguard knew who was her date for the night he failed to mention, in fact when Waverly decided it was finally time to start getting ready the man smiled and wished her good luck after she denied his request to provide security for her and her date. 

While she rode the elevator down to the garage level, Waverly gave herself a pep talk to try and calm her nerves, without much success. When the doors opened, she was still trying to wrap her head around the fact that she was about to go on a date with her crush, who was an outstanding, funny, badass and flirty woman, and deal with the waves of excitement and fear that that caused her, but as soon as she looked up everything fell into place. Nicole was pacing around by the car, going from one side to the other, and Waverly could've sworn the woman was just as nervous as she was, but one thing Waverly was one hundred percent sure was of how incredibly beautiful Nicole looked. Her hair was down, which already caused Waverly to hold her breath, but the way it fell down her shoulders and touched her skin looked like fire melting snow, and the writer could feel her body burning. The purple dress fit her perfectly, covering and unrevealing just the right parts, the fabric modeled her silhouette in the perfect way, dancing with the curves of her body and playing with Waverly's imagination. But nothing else compared to the beautiful smile on Nicole's lips and the mesmerized look in her eyes, maybe she too was infatuated by her date, but the only thing Waverly's mind could process was how completely and utterly breath-taking Nicole was. She fought her every instinct to just stay there sinking in every inch of her date, tattooing it on her brain and started to walk towards her. 

"Aren't you a vision" Nicole said before Waverly could say anything

"Oh please, have you seen yourself?" The writer said while still trying to calm herself down

"I have, and it does not equal to what I am looking at right now" Nicole said charmingly

"I really like your dress" Waverly said trying to change the course of the conversation

"It's purple" Nicole stated as if it wasn't quite obvious "I couldn't find a black one and I looked for a while."

"It looks perfect" Waverly moved closer to her date "Shall we go then?"

"Yes! Let me just get the keys" Nicole said while shuffling through her purse and moving towards the driver's seat 

"You're not driving" Waverly showed Nicole to the other side of the car before gently taking the keys of her hand and moving towards the driver's side "I asked you out, you're my date and I'm the one driving us"

"Can you even drive?" Nicole asked curiously

"I'll let you know I got my driver's license when I was 17 and only had to try once so I'm an excellent driver" Waverly spoke in a half amused half offended tone

"Okay, but I could drive us" Nicole tried again

"No way ma'am. Now buckle up and enjoy the ride"

"Alright" Nicole did what she was told "Let me know if you change your mind" and with that Waverly started driving

The ride was not as easy as Waverly would've hoped, turned out she didn't know the way to the restaurant and they ended up in the wrong place twice, which caused Nicole to laugh a lot every time Waverly took a wrong turn, before she finally gave in and allowed the gps to guide them. And after forty minutes of driving around, they arrived at the restaurant where the chef himself guided them towards their table. Lucky for them, the night was just as beautiful as the morning and the sky was full of stars making the view even more magnificent than it would normally be, or so the chef said, Waverly wasn't really looking at the city when she had Nicole in front of her eyes, and the other woman looked in awe to the view, making her even more breathtaking. Regardless of how things went, seeing Nicole that amazed was worth everything to Waverly. 

The spot they had was pretty exclusive, the only people there were the writer, Haught and the two waiters assigned to her table, which gave the two women a much-needed privacy, and for that Waverly made a mental note to personally thank the chef later. Nicole spent long minutes just looking at the view, focusing on nothing in particular but how it looked with all those lights on, and Waverly joined her after a few minutes of staring at the woman. The writer pointed out a few interesting locations and tried to remember as many tourist facts as she could about them and the city, answering question from Nicole whenever the woman felt extra interested in something. They were abruptly pulled away of their little moment and brought back to real life by the waiters informing them that the appetizers Waverly had picked, based on Wynonna's suggestions, were served. They ate the first meal in silence but as soon as the waiters excused themselves Nicole started talking

"This place really is something Waverly" 

"It's my first time in this restaurant actually" Waverly said surprising Nicole "I befriended the chef a few months ago during the release party for Purgatory but never got the chance to actually come here"

"How so?" Nicole asked curiously 

"Well, I thought the food was delicious and I decided I needed to thank the person who had provided it, so I went to the kitchen and did it" Waverly paused to make sure Nicole was still interested in the conversation "He's very sweet and he has a young daughter who loves my books, so I signed one copy for her right there and sent her a few gifts a few days later, she was so happy and somewhere along the way we became friends" she finished

"That's a very good friend to have" Nicole pointed out after taking one bite of the food the waiters had just brought over

"Turns out it's very good to have a friend like that when you need to impress a girl" Waverly flirted leaving Nicole speechless "What? No flirty comebacks?” Waverly teased “That's just sad, Haught"

"You're ridiculous" Nicole teased back "You didn't have to go through all of this trouble to impress me, you did that when you showed enough confidence to open your door using a very short pj"

"That was a mere accident, but it's good to know that you're impressed by my high levels of self-confidence" Waverly joked

"I'm impressed by everything you do Waverly" Nicole said in a more serious tone

"It's all on the smile and wave, you know" Waverly said before she could fully process what she was saying

"The smile is indeed an important part of it" Nicole said causing Waverly to blush and smile shyly

"It seems like I know at least a little bit what I'm doing then" Waverly tried to laugh it off 

"It seems to me that you're doing just fine" Nicole assured her "But I'm here to help you figure out anything you might want to" Nicole went for Waverly's hand that rested peacefully across the table

"Good to know. This is all new to me and I might need you to jump in" Waverly mimicked the serious tone of her date's voice

"Okay, no problem" Nicole squeezed the writer's hand to make sure she knew she meant every word

"Anyways, are you enjoying yourself?" Waverly asked ditching their previous topic in order to maintain her cool, but refusing to move her hand

"The food is exquisite. The view is marvelous and the company is even better" Nicole pointed out "So yes"

"Good. I can't believe an amazing woman like you were stuck in our city. Why is that?" Waverly asked.

"Never had a real chance of getting out, you know? I mean, something was always pulling me back" Nicole said honestly

"That's a valid reason" The writer said before gathering enough courage to continue "I'd like to show you some more amazing places if you let me" she completed hoping the other woman would catch what she was really trying to say

"I'd like that" Nicole smiled at the prospect of going on more dates with Waverly

/

Dinner went smoothly. The food was indeed marvelous, a little taste of heaven, as Nicole pointed out at some point. The view seemed to get more and more beautiful as the night fell and more lights were turned on. And the two women enjoyed themselves, talking animatedly through the whole dinner, talking about their likes and dislikes, what they liked to do on their free time and how they ended up in their current profession. It didn't pass unnoticed by Waverly how Nicole would reach for her hand whenever it was possible and how she seemed to mindlessly caress her palm or play with her fingers while she talked or how she'd look attentively at Waverly when it was her time to speak, the woman made it look like the writer was always disclosing some amazing secret or reciting classic poetry, which made her heart skip a beat every time. 

By the time they finished dessert, both women knew it was time to go back to their hotel, so Waverly took Nicole to the kitchen so they could say goodbye to the chef and then they walked side by side to where the car was parked, in no hurry at all to end their perfect night or to leave their bubble of happiness. Waverly allowed Nicole to drive them back since she didn't want to get lost again and end up messing up the entire date, so she sat on the passenger seat and hummed quietly when a good song would come up on the radio, causing Nicole to smile happily. Although the writer did not have much to compare to, she knew the date had been a success and she knew that she could probably rank it as a top ten, but she could only hope Nicole felt the same way. Her heart seemed to forget how to beat when, after successfully parking the car back on the hotel, Nicole unfasten her seatbelt and held her hand tightly, and when the bodyguard looked inside her eyes for confirmation Waverly froze in place, unable to think or move, causing the other woman to smile in understanding and pull away. 

Nicole brushed off the situation very quickly and started to talk about how amazing the night had been and how she loved every minute of it, sparing no praise to the restaurant and to LA, but Waverly just couldn't function properly. She was in a mix of fear, desire, shock and confusion, she couldn’t wrap her head around the fact that Nicole was actually willing to respect her pace in getting comfortable with their relationship, whatever it was, and she wanted desperately to punch herself for freezing when there was nothing she'd like to do more than to kiss Nicole. Waverly was completely focused on her inner monologue and barely noticed the elevator signaling their arrival on their floor and if it wasn't for the sound of Nicole's voice she probably would've stayed there. 

"Have you been paying attention to anything I've been saying for the past ten minutes?" Nicole said amused

"I'm sorry" Waverly apologized sincerely after acknowledging how rude she had been "I was just thinking"

"What were you thinking about?" Nicole asked curiously

"That I'm not a very brave person. I mean, there are lots of things I'd like to do but I don't have the courage to do them" Waverly tried explain what was getting all of her attention

"Like what?" Nicole asked actually interested in which type of adventure the writer was interested in

"Skydiving. To parachute out of a plane at fifteen thousand feet or like, to go scuba diving" The writer said frankly 

"Those sound cool and dangerous" Nicole said "As the person paid to keep you safe I'd strongly advise against it, but as the girl in the purple dress I'll say you should give it a go sometime" She smiled "Scary can be good"

"I write about it, I should know" Waverly joked trying to ignore how her eyes seemed to keep traveling back to her date's lips and how Nicole seemed to do the same.

"Tonight was amazing Wave, thank you for that, really" Nicole said as she closed the distance between them and kissed the writer's cheek "I'd like to that again sometime soon. But for now we should go to bed after all we both have to work tomorrow morning"

"Yes" was the only thing the writer managed to say

Waverly's cheek was burning as she walked into the room and closed the door behind her. Her cheek was burning as she took out her dress and put on more comfortable clothes. Her cheek was burning as she found herself once again having an inner monologue. Her cheek was burning as Waverly realized how amazing a simple and innocent kiss on her cheek was making her feel. Waverly's entire self was burning as she opened the door and walked the short distance from her room to the sofa where she found Nicole looking at her tablet already dressed for bed. 

"Like you" Waverly said without hesitation causing the other woman to look up surprised

"What?" Nicole couldn't hide her confusion

"Things that scare me" Waverly clarified

And with that Waverly's hands were in Nicole's neck and their lips were being pressed together. At first the redhead was too shocked to realize what was happening but as soon as her brain regained some control, Waverly felt herself being kissed back. And it was sweet. There was no hurry and there was no time, they kissed for what seemed like forever but, at the same time, for what felt like mere milliseconds. There was no need to push for more, but they both were filled with desire. Nicole's lips tasted like raspberries and happiness, a very probable result of the date. Waverly couldn't pinpoint the exact moment when they laid on the sofa but Nicole was on top of her and her hands were stroking patters on Waverly's cheek and although neither of them could deny how much they wanted each other, in that moment that was more than enough. 

And Waverly felt even better than she had felt that morning, she felt like coming home.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this one is a bit different, it's from Nicole's POV so feedbacks are more welcome than ever, here and on my tumblr. I hope you guys like it!

4.

She felt like coming home. 

Nicole tried to wrap her head around what had just happened but nothing coherent appeared. It wasn't like her brain had suddenly stopped working because the prettiest girl she had ever laid eyes on was currently kissing her lips for the first time; on the contrary, the inability to form coherent thoughts were a mere result of a brain in overload. In fact, Nicole's brain was toying with the idea that every little thing about that day either were part of her biggest dream coming true or a part of a very elaborate joke, either way she was willing to dive in head first no questions asked on it if it meant being around Waverly, or on that particular moment, under her. 

"Un..." Nicole tried regaining her focus "What's that for?"

"You said scary can be good" Waverly immediately pulled back and Nicole couldn't deny how scared she was that the other woman was regretting her decision to initiate the kiss but she was graced with a small smile starting to form on Waverly's lip

"I scare you?" Nicole said finally managing to get her thoughts in order and fully understanding what the other woman had been trying to say all day long

"Yes" Waverly said sincerely 

"Wave, you don't need to be afraid of me" Nicole said softly "Or of this" she took the writer's hands in hers "We can do what you want, we can take our time"

"But what if my time takes too much time?" Waverly wondered

"It doesn't matter" Nicole said "I can wait"

And with that she felt Waverly's mouth in hers for the second time, driving her insane and making her brain overload again. She smiled into the kiss because she finally knew the feeling of coming home after wandering around the world for months on end and finally laying on your own bed, a feeling that was more than happiness, more than belonging, more than finding herself. It was finding something a piece of herself that she never knew was missing and it was becoming picture perfect. She wanted to respect Waverly's pace but before she could stop herself, Nicole was switching positions and was lying on top of the writer, she searched inside her eyes for any signal opposing to the move but found none. Her hands were innocently traveling around the other woman's body, not wanting to wander and explore but simply memorizing every inch of her. Nicole was caressing Waverly's face when she felt the writer smile into the kiss and in that moment she needed for nothing else. 

/

The sun was barely up when Nicole finally gave up trying to get a relaxed sleep, even after weeks her body didn't seem to get used to sleeping on couches, regardless of how comfortable they appeared to be, so she'd spend most nights dealing with uncomfortable positions and back pain. But she wasn't one to complain, especially because that sleeping arrangement meant she could keep an eye on Waverly, and after that first day she knew the writer needed more than bodyguards, she needed friends, someone she could trust and open up and honestly just be comfortable around, and she was more than willing to be that person to her, he bodyguard was surprised when the thought that maybe the writer wanted her to be that be the person and suddenly there was no more pain.

After stretching from head to toe Nicole decided to go for a run so she could properly prepare herself for a long day at work, there was something about the way her muscles would burn when she tried to go that extra mile that always seem to renew her energy. She was finishing her fifth mile when something in the corner or her eyes caught her attention, causing warm memories to find their place back on her mind and immediately bringing a smile to her lips. She entered the small shop and picked up a few things before getting in line and waiting for her turn to order. Less than two minutes later she caught herself grinning when she heard the two teenagers in front of her talking about how excited they were to meet Purgatory's writer during the fan expo that afternoon because they wanted to get her autograph and show it off at school. As much as Nicole would like to play it cool and unfazed, she had been drawn to Waverly from the first moment and now she was completely smitten hence the facts that the mere mention of the woman's name was enough to make the butterflies in her stomach twist and turn. She listened as the girls talked about their plans for the convention and was pleased hear that they had the correct information about where to find Purgatory's writer. She then picked up her order and got on the first cab back to the hotel so she could catch the writer before she woke up, but as soon as she entered the room she was met with Waverly leaving the shower with a simple towel covering her body. 

"Oh shit" Nicole said immediately turning around "I'm sorry. I thought you would be asleep"

"We're actually running a bit late" Waverly said moving inside her room and closing the door that separated it from the living room before starting to change 

"We are?" Nicole started to freak out thinking that maybe she took too long on her run

"No" Waverly laughed from the other side of the door causing Nicole to smile in relief "I just woke up a bit earlier than usual" she said once again appearing back on the living room "And apparently so did you"

"Oh yes" Nicole said not yet fully recuperated from their encounter "I went for a run, blow off some esteem. A good way to start the day" 

"I couldn't agree more" Waverly smirked flirtatiously

Nicole watched attentively as Waverly licked her lips and she couldn't help but wonder if their minds were wandering to the same places. In a swift move she put the two bags on the table and walked decisively towards the writer before connecting their lips. She wanted to take it slow and savor every second of the kiss, but Waverly's hands were around her neck playing with her hair, the smell of her perfume was too intoxicating and she just couldn't think straight when Waverly's mouth were eagerly granting her entry. Nicole started to lead them towards the bedroom, kissing the other woman's mouth and neck, but before they could reach the bed Waverly tripped on something on the floor clumsily taking both women down.

"That was something" Nicole said still on the floor

"I know right?" Waverly laughed "Tell me that wasn't the sexiest move ever"

"Oh yes, you sure do know how to make a woman go down" Nicole laughed when she realized they were thinking about different things

"I have many talents Haught" the writer smiled "You don't know half of it yet" 

"Well I'm looking forward to finding out about them" Nicole said helping Waverly up "I'm sorry if I got a bit carried away"

"I told you blowing off steam in the morning is a good thing" Waverly winked 

"Indeed" Nicole spaced out for a second before focusing again on the conversation "I got you some stuff"

"Are you buying me gifts Nicole?" Waverly said surprised

"Not quite" Nicole said suddenly becoming very unsure of her purchase "it's more of a treat"

"Okay" Waverly said excitedly "Can I have it?"

"Yes of course" Nicole said handling the other woman the two bags "I remember you said you don't function properly without some caffeine in you so I got you a cappuccino from one of those artisanal small cafes you like" 

"This smells delicious Nicole!" Waverly said before taking a sip of the drink "And it tastes amazing too"

"And I also got you raspberry muffins because of yesterday" Nicole said nervously

"Thank you very much! Those are amazing" Waverly pecked Nicole's lips before returning her attention to the food in front of her "Now come join me"

"I can't. I gotta get ready to go to work" Nicole smiled "Got to keep an eye on an annoying spoiled celebrity" she joked

"Is that so?" Waverly giggled

"Oh yes. She's the worst" Nicole laughed before gathering her stuff and disappearing inside the bathroom "See you later!" She yelled playfully

/

Doing personal security was a stressful job, Nicole had to pay attention to everything and everyone, analyze situations and determine what sort of risks they presented to her client and if those risks were worth taking prepare plans to put in motion in case the situation became bad. Although she was very good at her job, The Black Badge team had a name to uphold, therefore she was constantly pushing herself to learn more about everything she judged to be necessary to do her job the best way possible. Luckily, her partner seemed keen on doing the same. On her first day, Nicole figured out that Dolls' military training taught him very well how to manage security in big crowded spaces while her training made it easier for her to deal with hand-to-hand combat. So when Gus suggested Dolls should meet with the events security teams and Nicole should stay close to Waverly, they were both relieved and excited. Ever since they fell into a routine, things were easier and more productive and that hadn't changed much since she moved rooms. Every night they would review the pre-established plan elaborated before they went on tour and every morning they'd rearrange it to what seemed better. 

After her run, Nicole took a quick shower, put her hair up, dressed up in her all black and had just finished buckling her belt when Gus and Dolls entered the room, both looking inquisitively at her, probably having an internal monologue about the reasons why she would've been naked on Waverly's room, but not saying anything. Even though that had nothing to do with the writer, she knew her partner wasn't very fond of the employee-employer relationship and was actually worried about what it could mean for her job, but he was enough of a gentleman to keep his opinion to himself, while the manager seemed completely unbothered by the situation. After gathering the whole gang, the two visitors started talking about the plans for the day and how they would proceed with everything and at every stop. Basically, since it was the biggest convention of the tour and the writer had one of the most crowded panels, they should expect more fans than they'd ever dealt with, so they would be working closely with the event's security team. Nicole noticed that, upon hearing that, Waverly retracted into her sit, so she moved closer to the writer in an attempt to assure her everything was going to be okay and she immediately noticed how the writer seem to relax a bit, causing her to smile proudly. It was established that both bodyguards would be accompanying Waverly through the day and, although Nicole was pretty confident in her abilities to handle the writer's security, she immediately agreed to the change of plans after seeing how worried Waverly was. 

The car ride was much quieter than she had grown used to, there were no jokes, no flirtatious words, no humming along to songs. With Dolls accompanying them, or better yet, third wheeling them, they were all on work mode and trying to focus on the day ahead on them. But regardless of how great it was seeing Waverly in her own element and doing her thing, Nicole missed the playful and more easy-going side of her. As soon as they got to the venue, the other security team joined them and they were all directed to the dressing room so the writer could join her glam team and Gus could talk to the event team while Nicole was left alone with Dolls, both waiting for their client to be ready. 

"Waverly told me you guys had an amazing talk yesterday about mystical stuff" Nicole said trying to fill in the silence

"Waverly?" Dolls asked without taking his eyes of his tablet

"Oh c'mon. You know we're friends" Nicole said not letting his inquisitive tone bother her

"Okay sure" he said "Yes. I thought she might like those stories since her books are about it"

"Oh yes, her books" Nicole made a mental note to get herself a copy of them before continuing "She said you gave her great ideas" She said enthusiastically 

"I'm glad I could help" He finally took his eyes of his tablet before continuing "I like her, she's a very talented and hard-working girl, nothing like the problematic celebrity I thought we'd work with"

"Yes she is pretty great" Nicole said with more adoration in her voice than she'd expect 

"You too" The man said clearing his throat "You are a very hard-working and talented girl. In your own field of course"

"Thank you! I appreciate it" she said half surprised and half flattered with his words

"However I really do hope you guys know what you're doing. It'd be a bummer if I had to let either of you go" he said with a serious tone

"Don't worry, our friendship won't get in the way of my work. Our work" Nicole said fully believing it to be true

"Friendship?" The man laughed making the woman blush "Okay. I trust you Haught" and with that he returned his attention to the tablet finishing the conversation

/

Nicole was with Waverly pretty much through the whole day and although she liked every part of her, nothing made her heart lighter than when the writer was talking to one of her fans. The redhead would watch Waverly as she bent down to hug the smaller kids, as she listened attentively when a teenage girl told her how her books made her overcomes her insecurities and as she blushed every time someone gave her a complement, like it was the most unexpected thing ever. Whenever those would happen Nicole would find herself picturing a younger Waverly being the shy kid, always living in her family's shadow and not believing in herself, and her heart would fill with pride to know that that girl got to where she deserved with people treating her the way she should be treated and she got there being such an amazing, humble and caring person. Nicole caught herself staring at Waverly for the millionth time and she just didn't care anymore, she knew that the writer would look back at her from time to time and smile and she knew that there was something in there, and her feelings were reciprocated. 

After watching Waverly deal with a teenage bursting into tears, Nicole decided it was best to try and focus on her job like she swore to her partner she could. The line had an incredible variety of people, groups of teenagers, families, young adults, people in costumes, people holding posters, people carrying gift and people holding their copies of Purgatory, and all of them were in their best behavior or were too anxious to do anything other than wait for their turn to talk to Waverly. And, although Dolls looked more stressed than ever since the audience seemed to have brought an endless amount of gifts in boxes, everything was going well. After a quick swipe on the line, Nicole caught herself looking at Waverly once again, but this time she did not see that heartwarming smile, she saw the writer in complete shock and in a blink of an eye she was standing by the man who was approaching the writer, assessing the situation and making sure he didn't represent any risk to her safety 

"What are you doing here?" Waverly said clearly struggling to keep calm

"What do you mean what I'm doing here?" The man said happily "I came to see you"

"We've talked about this. I'm working" Waverly said still unable to relax "You can't be here. You need to leave"

"C'mon Waverly, I came all the way down to see you" The man was starting to look uneasy and Nicole finally intervened

"What's going on here?" She said looking only at Waverly

"Nothing. Everything is okay and this is none of your business. Go away now" The man said before the writer could say a word

"Okay sir, you need to lower your voice or I'll have to escort you out" Nicole said firmly before turning to the writer "Is everything okay here?"

"Yes. Now can you please take him to my dressing room and make sure he's okay? I'll be right there after I'm done for the day" Waverly said without looking at the woman, making Nicole think something was completely out of place "Haught?"

"Yes" She said in a mix of shock and hurt from the cold treatment she'd just received "Ma'am"

And with that she took the man's arm and led them back inside the venue and into the dressing room, away from prying eyes. The man took a sit by the door and started to play a war game on his phone with the volume way too loud, making it impossible for Nicole to focus on anything other than his annoying presence. To avoid losing her mind she decided to move past the initial shock and get in work mode to try and figure out why he caused such a reaction from the writer. He was tall and muscled and he carried himself around like he was the best thing in the room and everyone wanted to get a piece of him, so Nicole immediately assumed he was a jock, probably a football player by the way he walked. By the way he seemed to have no respect at all for the other people in the room she assumed he wasn't the brightest of them all and she naturally assumed it was the whole bad boy look that scared Waverly. But regardless of how much dedication she poured into trying to understand the situation something seemed off and she could quite put her finger on it. She then texted Dolls letting him know that she had a possible situation and that he should stay in standby in case the boy started acting out and to let him know that the writer had instructed her to take the boy to a more private location and make sure he was okay. After endless minutes of listening to the stupid war game the boy turned off his phone and stared at the bodyguard before he spoke

"Who are you?" He said in the same authoritarian tone he used at the line

"I'm Waverly's bodyguard" Nicole tried to use the same tone "I'm with the Black Badge Unit"

"So you're like a cop then?" He said without seeming interested on the answer

"No. I'm private security. Waverly hired my partner and I to ensure her safety" She explained 

"So she's your boss then?" He asked and Nicole couldn't help the annoyed noise that came out of her mouth

"Yes" She said refusing to repeat the explanation

"And shouldn't it be Miss Earp then?" He said in a very serious tone causing Nicole's danger radar to beep "Are you simply stupid or do you have any delusions about the nature of you relationship with her?"

"You need to calm down or I'll be forced to restrain you" Nicole said already reaching for the taser on her belt

"Didn't you listen to what my fiancée said?" He smiled

Nicole was shocked, it was like the air had been sucked out of her lungs, she couldn't think and she couldn't believe in what the man was saying. If it hadn't been for the way he was playing with the ring on his finger, for how he had acted around the writer before and for the cold treatment she had given Nicole, she would've immediately dismissed his words. But there was this weird feeling in the air, something wrong and unspoken that felt completely out of place and Nicole felt it in the pit of her stomach. She knew something had to be wrong but she couldn't do anything at the moment other than stand there, blinking and trying to process the words he was saying, the implications of them and how it would affect everything moving forward. She was a pessimist and experience had taught her that she might want to believe in something greater and on a master plan waiting to reveal itself, but more often than not things were exactly how the appeared to be. Her numbness was stopping her from noticing anything around her, it was like time had stopped and all she could see was his devilish smile and his victorious eyes looking at her while he patiently waited for her to either burst into tears or go fist first at him. 

After a few minutes of beating herself up, Nicole called Dolls asking him for back up, not that she needed any because the fiancé had returned his attention to his phone and was once again playing the very loud war game, but because she could use a friend and he was the closest thing she had to one. They sat together for over two hours, the usual silence coming from Dolls was nothing compared to how quiet Nicole was and they both felt comfortable that way. He might have sensed the way Nicole seemed preoccupied and stressed and she was mostly pleased when he scotched closer attempting to show his support for whatever she needed. Although Dolls spent most of the time staring inquisitively at the other man in the room, he looked even more annoyed by his behavior and everything about him than Nicole did, and seeing her partner struggling to maintain composure was enough to distract her for a while. 

Despite Dolls attempts to distract her, the air in the room was growing heavier by the second and Nicole just couldn't stay there for one more second so she opened the door and left, excusing herself to attend to security matters, which both men knew to be a lie. She passed by Waverly who was still greeting the fans and walked towards Gus who was trying to put all of the writer's gifts inside the car, without much success. Wanting to spend some time alone and feel somehow useful, Nicole told the manager she could deal with the gifts and sent her away to attend to other matters, but her peace and quiet was quickly interrupted when Waverly showed up. She looked awkward, something between tired, apologetic, angry and defeated and Nicole wanted to go hug her and tell her it was going to be okay, but she too felt that way and her mind kept traveling back and forth between the night they had and the ring on the man's finger. Not knowing how to act or what to say she simply stopped what she was doing and stood there, waiting for the writer to say something but Waverly was looking at her like she was trying to put the puzzle together and Nicole was growing unbearably frustrated with the lack of explanations so she simply gave up waiting. 

"So you're engaged" Nicole said causing Waverly to giggle softly 

"So that's what he said this time" the writer shook her head in disbelief but slightly amused

"What" The redhead said unable to fully understand what was going on

"No Nicole, I'm not engaged" Waverly said in a more tone 

"What?" Nicole said once again unable to evaluate the situation

"Do you honestly believe I'd cheat on someone and play someone else? Waverly moved closer to her 

"No. I don't thi... I don't k..." Nicole tried to explain herself suddenly feeling very vulnerable "He has a ring" the words came out tiredly

"Probably. I had a matching one about three years ago" Waverly said before getting inside the car and patting the seat next to her inviting the Nicole to join "That guy in there is Hardy Champ, and we used to date when I was in college and now we don't anymore but he didn't deal well with that so sometimes he shows up like this"

"He went to college?" Nicole said actually surprised 

"Sports Scholarship" Waverly laughed "But that's your question, really?"

"What happened? How did you two even ended up together in the first place? And what do you mean he shows up sometimes?" The bodyguard asked unsure of how much she wanted to know

"Well, dating options weren't that vast for young and awkward Waverly Earp, and Champ was hot and asked me out one day and we just sort of started dating" Waverly answered honestly

"And what happened after that?" Nicole asked now more curious than anything else

"I had just finished writing this book and I told him I was going to travel around the country to meet with publishers and try to get a deal on my book. He didn't like the idea so much because he had his own stuff to attend to but he said we should get married before I went on my little delusion trip just so I knew I'd have him to go home to. For whatever reason I said yes but a few days later I realized that was stupid and broke up with him" Waverly said simply before continuing "That book was Purgatory by the way"

"And what do you mean by he shows up sometimes?" Nicole asked

"It's complicated, but he didn't take it very well which was probably my fault because I never gave him an explanation I just gave him back the ring and took off. So now he shows up sometimes, at my apartment, Gus's apartment, supermarkets, anywhere really and act like we're still together and try to get me back" Waverly explained "But he's harmless, he's just confused"

"Well I'm sorry but your ex is kind of a dick and somewhat crazy, but if you say he's harmless like a bug..." Nicole said returning to her playful self but now even more confused as to what motivated her drastic reaction, her protective side that was signaling danger or her jealous side that just wanted Waverly "And I'm sorry but for a second there I thought you might have been playing me"

"Well he does have a ring" Waverly said mimicking the words Nicole had used only a few moments earlier "I like you Nicole, and I have zero interest in lying to you" she said before pecking her lips and kissing her cheek "Now let's go deal with that shall we?"

"Yes ma'am"

Nicole couldn't deny that she felt much much lighter, but everything was passing through her brain at the same time, their date the night before, how good she felt in the morning, Dolls' both worried and supportive words and the way she quickly believed someone over Waverly and she just couldn't shake the weird feeling. She was still willing do dive in head first no question asked but what seemed like a safe fall now scared her. They walked side by side passing by writers and their staff and at some point Nicole felt Waverly's hand slid into hers and everything was simple again, she was home. They were in no hurry to get back to the dressing room, instead they hanged back for a while, Waverly surprising the bodyguard with a kiss when they were in an area out of sight and causing Nicole to relax a little. At some point they picked up Gus and she accompanied them while Nicole filled her in on the situation, making sure to leave out her own jealousy. The three women opened the door and found both man exactly where Nicole had left them, although Dolls seemed more annoyed and Champ seemed very interested in annoying the man even more, possibly to test his limits. But as soon as the jock laid eyes on the writer he started to walk towards her stopping only when Nicole put herself in his path and Waverly started speaking

"Champ you need to leave" She said firmly 

"But I came all the way here to see you" The guy said clearly surprised by the writer's reaction

"You clearly shouldn't have" Nicole interfered

"I'm not talking to you, I'm talking to my fiancée" he said making Nicole wonder if he actually believed they were still a couple 

"Lower your voice right now Champ and do not speak to her like that" Waverly said angrily "I'm not your fiancée. I broke up with you years ago and you need to forget it, forget me and move on" she said after taking a few seconds to recompose yourself

"You clearly have" He said pointing between Waverly and the writer 

"Listen to me" the writer said unaffected by his attempt to out her "You're going to gather your things and leave or I'll have Dolls here throw you out"

"Waverly. You're going to regret this" He said sadly

Nicole watched as the man stared at Waverly, toying with the ring around his finger as he grew more and more frustrated before finally gathering his stuff and leaving. The weird feeling was still there even after more people started to fill up the room, it was still something she could quite put her finger on or wrap her head around. Whatever it was experience had taught her that sooner or later it would make sense, she just hoped it wasn't something that'd break her heart. The night before she had decided she was all in on their relationship, regardless of what type it was, and despite the weirdness of the day, Nicole remained certain of her decision

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just another thing, i've been trying to update every monday and friday, but i'll be away for 10 days and im not sure i'll be able to update next week, however i'll try my best to give you guys at least one chapter.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this one took a little longer, like i said i've been away with my family and been having a hard time finding good internet. Anyways, here it is, Wynonna is making an appearance and everything is cute again! I hope you guys like this chapter and i can't wait to get your feedback! Tahnk you for sticking to my story!

5\. 

Waverly was sitting in front of her computer, trying to finish a new chapter of her third book without much success. Her mind kept traveling back and forth to her upcoming responsibilities. She had been on the road for a whole month, attending fan convention after fan convention, and she loved it. She was physically exhausted but mentally renewed. The close contact with the fans was a good thing, always making her smile and being a constant reminder as to why she started writing in the first place. But that was only the first part of the book tour and she was about to start the second one, which would inadvertently lead her to nothing but complete exhaustion. For the next month Waverly would have to deal with interview after interview for TV, magazines, radios and websites from all over the world and she'd attend talk shows all over America. She was still on plane going to England, her first stop on the European part of the tour, for the first day of interviews and she already was exhausted. 

Waverly desperately wanted to focus enough to finish the chapter but she just couldn't. Writing had always been easy for her, putting the words on the paper in a way that could make her readers hold their breaths and fear for their favourite characters' safety or make them giggle and their hearts flutter with every new adventure the characters went through. And ever since she started the tour, her head was filled with ideas and possible scenarios and stories, but she didn't seem able to actually put them down to words. Waverly would like to blame it on the intense schedule her manager was putting her through, but she would be lying if she said that. Gus was really interested in giving the writer time to focus on her book, but the writer was very interested in spending that time with her bodyguard. She giggled quietly when she felt a quick kiss at the top of her head and she didn't even have to look up to know who that was. 

"I thought you were asleep" Waverly said "It's like three am or something"

"I was asleep but I woke up and saw that you were awake so I came to check if everything was okay" Nicole said in a sweet and preoccupied tone that made the writer's heart speed up

"I'm okay, I'm just trying to write this chapter but it seems like an impossible task" She sighed in frustration

"Well I'm sure you'll do amazing" Nicole said in a reassuring tone

"I hope so. But it's getting a bit complicated, I'm trying to fix Willa and Ward's relationship after the events of the last book. You know..." the writer said not minding the spoilers coming out of her mouth

"Why? What happened?" Nicole said and Waverly noticed how she seemed to get anxious

"Well you know, after she found out she could kill the revenants with peacemakers, on book one, and then found out her father was hiding the curse from her on the last book?" Waverly asked amused by Nicole's interest

"Oh yes, sure. That happened" The bodyguard said still nervous 

"Any suggestions?" Waverly noticed how Nicole shifted uncomfortably

"I think you'll figure it out without my help, after all you're the amazing writer with a brilliant mind and I'm the bodyguard" She said nervously without looking at the other woman

"You've never read them, have you?" Waverly giggled softly when her bodyguard nodded "That makes a lot of sense"

"Why?" She asked interested in figuring out how obvious she was

"Because people eventually ask me to sign something for them. Even Gus and Dolls have" she said softly 

"Dolls?" Nicole asked surprised

"Oh yes, he asked me to sign his copy of the book like two weeks after he started working for me" she said giggling

"My niece has read your books though and she loves them. She talks about it whenever she can, that's why I know one thing or two. But I've been meaning to buy a copy and read it" Nicole said unable to hide the pinkness of her cheek

"Don't worry, I know the writer. I think she can get you one copy, autographed even" she laughed

"Do you think I can get her number? I heard she's very hot" Nicole teased 

"Oh really?" Waverly arched her eyebrow 

"Oh yes. I could totally get her to kiss me" Nicole continue to tease

Waverly put her computer away before pulling Nicole into her lap and kissing her passionately. After their first date and the little misunderstanding with her ex-boyfriend things started to flow naturally. They were attracted to each other like magnets and could hardly keep their hands to themselves. Waverly found it very easy to trust Nicole to lead the way while the bodyguard took her time making sure to respect their pace and to give the other woman time to process everything. But the more comfortable they got, the harder it was to pull away. 

Hands were exploring bodies, lips were kissing necks and before she could get a hold of herself Waverly was moaning loudly causing both women to blush and stop their intense make out session. They were standing only a few feet away from the rest of their team and they certainly would've proceeded without a care in the world if it hadn't been for that. Waverly wanted to hide her face at any costs, she couldn't believe how easy it was for Nicole to get her heated and to make her lose all senses, she wanted to be chill and in control but there she was completely unable to care about anyone other than her bodyguard. Nicole laughed at the scene in front of her and pecked Waverly's lips before moving to return to her seat but the writer took her hand and pulled her back into her old position where they stood for a while, simply enjoying each other's company. 

They arrived at Heathrow airport in the middle of night and Dolls drove them straight to the hotel where, after pointing out how stupid it was for Nicole to keep sleeping in a couch the writer decided to ask for a room with two beds. They rode the elevator together and listened patiently as Gus informed them that they needed to get to bed as soon as possible because they were going to be up in less than six hours to start the press tour, and on that day alone Waverly had five interviews. The writer catched on pretty quickly on what the manager was implying between the lines and she giggled softly when in the corner of her eyes she saw Nicole blushing. She wanted to continue what they had started on the plane but she couldn't keep her eyes open for much longer. 

/

Waverly had always been the type of person that had a normal sleeping schedule, she'd go to bed at a reasonable hour and would wake up early, normally she'd make herself some coffee, watch the morning news and go write. But ever since Nicole moved in to her room, her routine change, in fact ever since the woman walked into her life, it changed completely. Now she'd wake up and either find Nicole already up and making them coffee or she'd be out for a run and would come back with a different caffeinated beverage for her to try, then they'd proceed to a morning make out session and would finish by walking side by side to the car as they joined the writer's team for the day. And Waverly couldn't deny how much she liked her new routine and more importantly, how fast and hard she was falling for the beautiful Nicole Haught. 

The second interviewer of the day was thanking the writer for the amazing interview while he gathered his equipment and prepared to leave the room. The writer smiled politely without paying much attention to his words because all Waverly could think about was how much she had changed in such a short period of time, how much happier she was and how much lighter life felt. As if she knew what the writer was thinking about Nicole entered the room carrying a bottle of water and a few cookies. Waverly watched her attentively as she played with the bottle waiting for the man to leave them alone and as soon as he did she spoke. 

"I thought you might be hungry so I got you these" she said pointing to the chocolate chip cookies

"No coffee?" Waverly asked hopefully and pouted

"It tasted awful so I assumed you'd prefer some water than to whatever that poor version of coffee was" She said giving her the bottle and standing behind the writer

"You know me so well" Waverly said taking a sip of the water and immediately relaxing when the bodyguard started to massage her shoulders "And I thought your flirting was good. You sure know how to get a girl going, Nicole"

"I'm glad you're enjoying it" Waverly noticed how Nicole blushed but didn't say anything when the woman quickly changed topics "How was this interview? Any better than the one before?"

"Same thing. It's like they all get the same script, and only seventy percent of the questions are related to the book, when I'm lucky" The writer complained, without mentioning the fact that the other thirty percent always seem to be about her love life, and how this time when the guy asked about anyone special her mind went straight to the woman massaging her shoulder.

"That sounds boring" She said simply before placing a kiss at the tip of the writer's nose "What do you think I get us some sushi and we watch a movie at our room tonight? So you can relax"

"As long as I don't have to dress up nicely, because I'm not even halfway through the day and I'm already tired" The writer said 

"You don't even have to get dressed at all if you don't want to" Nicole said and winked, leaving the writer speechless, before walking towards the door "So do we have a date tonight or not, Wave?"

"Sushi sounds great" she said as her mind toyed with Nicole's idea. 

Waverly watched as the bodyguard left the room and the new interviewer appeared and started to unpack her things. Nicole might have thrown those words as nothing more than a joke or a flirtatious move but it got the writer thinking whether or not she was ready for that. She knew she wanted it, and she honestly believed everyone else knew it as well, but regardless of how easy her new relationship seemed to be evolving she had only been with one person her entire life and she didn't need to be a genius to know that, with Nicole, it would all be completely different. Not just because she was a girl, but mostly because of Waverly's feelings for the woman and because she knew the bodyguard would do anything to make sure she was happy. With Champ, things were always intense and one sided, from the crazy relationship to their intimate moments, and before even calling it a relationship, Waverly was already experiencing how soft, sweet, kind and caring Nicole was. Her inner monologue might have continued for hours but before she could reach a decision, the interviewer was introducing herself and the famous writer took over the dreamy Waverly Earp. 

The next three hours passed by slowly. Every new interview started the same way, with weird small talk about the weather or economics or something silly to get them warmed up and as soon as the cameras were turned on the interviewers would start trying to either charm or bullshit their way through it. The questions were always the same. What's your favorite character to write and why? Why use a hero that has such a complicated and entangled relationship with the main villain? Is Willa a metaphor for the two Earp kids? And is Ward a metaphor for her own dad and his flaws? What could the public expect from Bobo on the new book? When was the film coming along? Was Waverly Earp still single? Was a happy ending in the horizon for the writer? Sometimes they would get creative and ask unexpected questions or they would play some games and stuff, but most of the time the writer would smile politely and answer every single one of their seemingly rehearsed questions, trying her hardest not to repeat her answers, without much excitement. Waverly hated this part of her job because it made her feel like a robot, as programmed and scripted as the interviewers questions, but her publishers loved seeing her face everywhere, it was good press for the book which meant good press for their company, and since a happy boss is a happy life, there wasn't much she could do other than go with the flow. 

The last interview of the day was the least tedious one, because it wasn't from any mainstream media, but for a website on the rise which was known for their well thought out interviews. The interviewer was pretty sweet and Waverly actually had a bit of fun discussing her creative process and talking about her research for the book. But as soon as the woman picked up her things and left the writer was completely worn out, finally letting the long day take its toll on her. Her second bodyguard was waiting on her outside and when she stepped out, he accompanied her all the way back to her room. Dolls seemed extraordinarily quiet but as soon as they arrived at her door he smiled and wished her a good night, and from that Waverly could only assume, he knew of Nicole's date plans and as soon as she opened the door she was completely certain the man knew his partner was up to something. 

The room was in no way similar to the one Waverly left in the morning, for starters the furniture in the living room had been carefully moved to one corner leaving a free space in which Nicole improvised a comforter bed. The bodyguard had laid their blankets and pillows on the carpet in front of the TV, she'd set two bed trays with a vast diversity of sushi and candles around the room making it a perfect lazy night date. Waverly took her time to admire the setting in front of her and she almost missed how Nicole was standing in the corner watching her expectantly. The writer sat on her new bed and patted the space next to her for her date to sit before speaking. 

"Nicole, this is amazing!" She said still very much impressed by all the work the other woman had put on the date

"You said you wanted comfortable and relaxed" She said nervously while she played with the blanket "And I remember you saying your dream date was a picnic on the back of a pickup truck. I had to improvise but I think this is quite close"

"This is perfect" Waverly felt her insides melt at how sweet and thoughtful the other woman was being "No one has ever done anything like that for me before" she said unable to control the overwhelming feeling of gratitude and love

"You've been dating too many dickheads" The bodyguard giggled softly

"I've been trying to change that" The writer wondered if the redhead had planned those words or if it had been a mere lucky strike but by the way she was looking hungrily at her lips she could only assume it carried a deeper meaning

"Good" For a second Waverly thought Nicole was going to kiss her, push all that food aside and kiss her but the woman seemed to fight her every bone before she spoke again "So I thought we could watch a horror film or something like that, I made a small selection of the ones I like better"

"You want me to watch a horror film?" Waverly laughed causing the other woman to arch an eyebrow in confusion "Darling if you want me to run into your arms I have better ideas that won't cause me nightmares"

"Isn't your book a thriller/horror story? I thought you liked horror" Nicole asked uncertain of what was going on 

"Yes, I like mysticism and scary stories but nothing really creepy like those films. They always seem to kill the best characters" Waverly said turning the TV off and trying to find a new option on her computer "How does Pitch Perfect sound?"

"I liked the idea of a scary movie but I'm okay with whatever you want" She said simply

Even after years, there was something in the back of her mind that apprehensively waited for the relationship to turn bad, for her to stop caring, to become distant and unattached. All of Waverly's relationship had been influenced by that pattern, one way or another, and by that point she was used to being alone. Champ was simply a classic asshole, Wyatt was a terrible father that didn't give two shits about her and Wynonna tried her best to be present but sometimes she just couldn't. But watching Nicole looking at her like she was the most precious artifact in the entire universe made Waverly smile. In that moment she knew without a doubt that Nicole cared for her truly, that she wanted more than just her body and her name and she wanted absolutely nothing to do with her fame and its perks. Waverly was one hundred percent sure that, regardless of that pattern, Nicole wouldn't intentionally hurt her and she was willing to dive in head first without asking any questions because she knew Nicole would be there to hold her. She pressed play and scotched closer to the other woman, welcoming the warmth of her body as they ate and watched Anna Kendrick rock on the screen. 

The writer wanted to watch the film, after all it was one of her favorites, but her eyes kept traveling to Nicole who was concentrated on the screen and laughing and singing along. She wanted to stop time, to stare at the redhead forever. Everything was perfect and, for the millionth time that day, all she could think about was how fast and hard she was falling for Nicole and how safe and cared for she felt. Her heart thrummed into her chest as she turned off the film, pushed her computer away and moved to sit on Nicole's lap eliciting a confused look from the other woman. They were staring at each other and air was heavy and with every breath, it seemed to get heavier, intoxicating Waverly's mind with desire and making her hands want to explore. Her fingers were tracing patterns on Nicole's face, playing with the waves of her hair, dancing around her lips and finally resting on her neck. They stood there in silence taking in the sexual tension, looking into each other's lustful eyes and building the courage to make a move. So when Waverly finally kissed her, it was bliss. But that kiss was different from all the ones they've exchanged before, it was honest and raw, it meant more and it was the beginning of more. 

The kiss started off slow. Their lips were touching and dancing to the same rhythm. But within mere seconds, it started to get heated and desperate. They were drunk on each other's mouths and desperately trying to unravel the unspoken words their sober selves couldn't say just yet. Waverly pulled back just enough to look into Nicole's eyes for reassurance and confirmation before taking the redhead's shirt of unrevealing her cute green bra. The writer took a deep breath taking in the sight in front of her before signaling for her date to the same. The kissing became sloppy as they slowly changed positions with Nicole ending up on top of the writer. The feeling of their bare stomach touching was driving Waverly insane, she was falling in love with the woman on top of her and she wanted her. She wanted her bad. This time around she didn't wait for confirmation, she pulled off her trousers and did the same to the other woman, leaving both breathless at the sight of their date in their underwear. 

Nicole was perfect and Waverly was in awe. That woman, on top on her, with matching green underwear and flushed cheeks was perfect. The air was still charged with desire and sexual tension, but Nicole was looking at her with the sweetest eyes the writer had ever seen and Waverly melted. They started kissing again. They kissed, savoring each other's mouths. There was nothing else other than the both of them right there. Hours could have passed. The hotel could have burned down. Wars could have begun and ended. Aliens could have taken over the world. Children could've been born and graduated from college and neither woman would have noticed. Waverly felt butterflies in her stomach when Nicole's hands left her hair and started to travel down her body, toying with the material of her bra and she held her breath in anticipation when the woman unbuckled it. She heard the sound of an incoming video chat on computer by her side but nothing in the world was as important as the feeling of Nicole's fingers touching her naked chest. The sound died down and started again causing Nicole to chuckle lightly and say something about busy and popular celebrities forcing the writer to blindly try to turn off her computer. On normal circumstances her own muscular memory would've been enough to lead her hand to the off button but with Nicole looking so turned on and sexy on top of her, her brain wasn't working properly and before she knew it her sister’s voice was coming out of the computer speakers. 

"So Wave I was thinking" Wynonna's voice was coming from a distant which could only mean she wasn't in front of the computer "When are you going to Amsterdam again?" The voice was still far away but Waverly pushed her date away from her and made sure their almost nakedness was properly covered by the blankets

"Un..." The writer tried to make her mind work as her sister finally appeared on the screen "In a week I think"

"What's wrong with you?" Wynonna asked in a worried tone

"What?" Waverly tried to play it cool

"You look as white as snow and your hair is a complete mess. Are you sick? Is the road taking a toll on you?" Her sister asked naively 

"Yeah, I think I'm catching a flu but it's probably nothing. I'm just a bit tired" Waverly lied

"You should ask Haught stuff to take care of you lil sis" Nicole giggled and Waverly had to cough loudly to mask the sound eliciting an inquisitive look from her sister

"I bet she has other priorities" Waverly said before continuing "Plus I wouldn't want to wear her out you know" she teased fully aware that Nicole was listening "But you were saying something about Amsterdam?"

"Yes! I think I'll meet you there. I miss you" Wynonna said sincerely before dodging the sentimental speech "And they have dope parties"

"Of course. Text me the details so I can talk to Gus and the security detail" Waverly suggested

"Yes! And don't worry about me spending time with your girl, you can totally put Xavier on Wynonna watch" She joked but her sister knew her better

"I'll keep both of them away from you" Waverly said amused 

"You suck" Wynonna said before turning off the chat

"So you'll wear me out?" Nicole said after Waverly safely turned off her computer and put it away to avoid any more awkward interruptions

"Sure I will" Waverly teased "But not tonight. Maybe tonight we can just cuddle and sleep together?" She asked hesitantly 

"That sounds amazing" The bodyguard smiled and gave Waverly her bra back before scotching closer and wrapping her arms around the smaller woman "Goodnight Waves"

"Goodnight Nicole" they stood there falling asleep together, their breathing steading and Waverly spoke again "I'm pretty sure I'm falling for you" but Nicole was already deep asleep.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WE HAVE BEEN RENEWED!!!! HERE'S TO SEASON TWO!

6.

Waverly was dreaming of her childhood house, running up and down the stairs with Wynonna chasing her. Laughters echoed around the house and on a distant corner, she could hear her father's laugh. They were playing some stupid game but it didn't quite matter what they were doing, the only thing she cared about was the fact that they were together. She was standing behind the couch in the living room, waiting on her sister, ready to execute her plan and win the game but suddenly the laughter stopped and Wynonna was screaming and crying and her father was outside the house. She could hear the sound of gunshots being fired from the yard and she wanted to do something to help but she was paralyzed, her limbs didn't respond to her commands. Her sister appeared by her side with a desperate look on her eyes, and although she wasn't one to fear many things, in that moment Waverly saw complete and absolute terror in her eyes. And then a new gunshot. 

She woke up sweating and trembling and the fear she felt in the nightmare was still creeping up inside her brain. Waverly looked around for any signs of actual danger but the only thing she found was Nicole sitting by her side with a worried look on her eyes. The woman looked a bit scared and messy, like she had been abruptly pulled out of a peaceful sleep, and Waverly hated herself for ruining their perfect night. She hadn't had a nightmare in such a long time but there she was, looking small, unprotected and vulnerable. 

"Waverly what's wrong?" The woman said in a preoccupied tone

"It was nothing" Waverly tried to dismiss her feelings taking a deep breath to control her shaking limbs "I'm sorry I woke you"

"Of course it was something" Nicole said caressing her face and pulling her closer "You were screaming and now you're crying" the sweet touch of Nicole's fingers were already calming the writer down but she noticed how urgent and desperate the other woman's voice sounded "Tell me what's wrong"

"I had a nightmare. A bad one" Waverly took a deep breath before continuing "I used to have a lot of those when I was younger but they became less frequent as I grew up and I assumed they were a thing of my past" she looked at her still trembling hands "Apparently not"

"Oh baby, I'm so sorry" Nicole pulled her even closer kissing her head "What can I do?"

"Do you mind getting me a bottle of water?" Waverly said and Nicole quickly obliged "You worked so hard to prepare us an amazing night and I ruined it twice"

"Waves, don't say that. Being with you is more than enough for me." Nicole said already back into her old position on their improvised bed "Now do you want to tell me exactly what happened?"

"I don't even know, I think the new chapter I'm writing triggered something and I had a really bad dream" Waverly said sincerely "I was a kid and people were shooting down my house and killed Wynonna and my dad" she took a sip from the water before continuing "And I was stuck there unable to move, to run or scream"

"That's a terrifying nightmare" Nicole stated simply

"Indeed. I don't remember ever being that scared" Waverly scotched closer letting her body be held by her bodyguard

"You know you don't have to be scared right? I won't let anything bad happen to you" Waverly searched inside her eyes for any signs of uncertainty but fund none "I promise"

"Okay" The writer said already feeling infinitely better

"Now do you wanna try and get some more sleep? I'll be right here when you wake up" 

"That sounds good" Waverly said

The writer adjusted her body comfortably against Nicole's, her head resting peacefully on the crock of her neck and with every breath she took in more of Nicole's scent. Waverly smiled tiredly as the bodyguard caressed her back in circular motions and hummed an old lullaby she recognized as the one Wynonna used to sing to her when they were kids. The writer fell asleep as she thought once again how she had hired The Black Badge Unit to be her bodyguards and protect her at all times, with their tasers and guns and elaborated plans, but the moments in which she truly felt safe was when Nicole was by her side, saying something silly or doing something cute, when they were alone and the other woman was simply being her regular caring and protective self. She woke up a few hours later, her limbs entangled with Nicole's and a bunch of red hair spread all over her face and although she wanted to complain a little about the mildly uncomfortable position, the writer was immediately hit by a thought. She could get used to waking up like that and she'd very much like that. 

During the next week, Waverly and Nicole would wake up together in the same bed, either the writer would climb into the bodyguard's bed in the middle of the night or she'd pout until the woman agreed to leave her bed and move to hers. Either way they'd wake up and resent the day ahead of them that forced both women to leave their nest and let go of each other, so they'd hesitantly get out of bed and proceed with their routines. Nicole would change into her uniform and the writer would sit for hours answering questions. Then, they'd meet up on their bedroom and try to watch a film, failing miserably when they inevitably started kissing. Their make out sessions were intense and heated and the writer looked like a horny teenage boy, but they not once went as far as they did on their first day in London. 

Waverly was much happier and talkative, and the interviewers seemed to catch on to that, the interviews were longer and more exciting and more than once the writer almost gave away key spoilers from the next book, which elicited an intense talk online from the fans. Gus had shown her a few articles online wondering if the writer was dating someone, most of them pointed to the main actor from the book adaptation, Doc Holliday, but Waverly simply laughed those off knowing full well they'd never get that gossip right. Her last appointment of the day was a radio interview and when the Dutch interviewer asked her about her relationship with the actor Waverly actually considered telling her the truth.

"So, I've been seeing a lot of articles about you and Doc Holliday lately" The interviewer smiled "Anything you wanna share?"

"He's truly amazing" Waverly laughed

"And that's it?" The interviewer pushed again

"We've been in touch because of his role in the movie and we just sort of became good friends" The writer tried to brush off the question

"He's playing the hero right?" She asked

"Sort of. His character is more complex than that, I like to believe he is more than just the hero" Waverly tried to defend her character 

"Of course, they all are" The interviewer smiled politely "But can we, the romantic part of your fandom, hope for a happy ending?"

"Depending on what you call a happy ending" She teased the heroic ending she had been planning for months 

"Soul mates ending up together and all of that" She blushed and the writer knew the other woman was trying to contain the fangirl inside of her

"Who knows" She continued teasing "You never know when you might find your soul mate. So it's always a possibility"

"Does that work for you as well?" The interviewer tried again

"Maybe" The writer said in a half teasing half serious tone, making sure the interviewer stopped trying

There was someone in her life and Waverly knew that with every fiber of her body, someone she could trust and she could count on. Someone she could love. And although everyone around her pretty much knew they were an item, everything about Waverly was unusual. For starters, she had her fans who stalked everyone with the slightest relation to her and then there was the media which would turn Nicole's life upside down looking for anything and everything they could explore. She didn't feel the undying need to expose her personal life, but she definitely didn't want to have to hide it neither. Waverly might've considered telling the truth but she chose to stay silent about Nicole in order to protect the other woman's privacy. 

The bodyguard was waiting for her inside the car and Waverly promptly welcomed the now familiar embrace as soon as she closed the door. The writer wasn't exactly tired, but while Nicole mindlessly talked about something she'd seen on TV, she closed her eyes and let herself be transported by the other woman's voice into another place. She didn't know exactly when she fell asleep but she felt Nicole's hands carefully caressing her face in an attempt to wake her up when they got to the hotel parking lot. They rode the elevator together and she was ready to ask Nicole to join her in bed when she opened the door and found her room upside down, packed with countless suitcases. 

"Damn, took you long enough sis" Wynonna said coming out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her torso "I was growing old here"

"What exactly are you doing here?" Waverly said shocked by her sister’s appearance

"I told you I was coming to visit you" Her sister brushed aside her shock "I told you like a week ago"

"You did?" The writer had to force herself to remember the conversation and immediately blushed when she finally realized why she was having a hard time remembering that moment in particular "Oh yes you did"

"Don't need to act all innocent and oblivious. You knew I was coming, you even got a second bed for me" Wynonna said pointing to the other bed in the room without realizing how wrong she was in her assumption

"That's not yours" Waverly said so fast she didn't have enough to time to process her words "That's Nicole's" 

"Oh" Wynonna said in confusion before putting the pieces together "Ohhhh"

"Yes" The writer said nonchalantly, deciding to go with it instead of fighting her own confession

"I can fix this" Wynonna said leaving Waverly looking confused as she pulled Nicole, who was clearly trying to give them some privacy, closer "You don't mind sharing a bed with your girlfriend while I visit, right?" She said directly to the bodyguard 

"If Waverly is okay with that, I don't suppose I'll have any problems with it" Nicole blushed at how specific Wynonna's words were

"Nicole, don't be silly. Wynonna can get her own room" Waverly tried to showcase any kind of opposition to her sister's idea

"I can go sleep with Xavier if you really want me to" Wynonna half teased 

"Yeah, no. You're staying right here" Waverly said in a defeated tone

"Awesome!" Her sister said already making herself comfortable in her new bed "Now, I have some ideas for our girl’s night out tonight but I'm open for suggestions"

"You know I'm here for work right? Not fun?" The writer said annoyed by her sister 

"Actually, tomorrow you have a free day Wave" Nicole interrupted not knowing she was blowing off Waverly's excuse for not joining her sister 

"I like you, Ginger!" Wynonna said throwing a dress at her sister's direction "And you're partying with us as well. I wanna ask you a few questions" 

"You're not interrogating my girlfriend Wynonna!" Waverly said defensively without paying much attention to her words

"Girlfriend?" Nicole tried to whisper in shock but her voice came out louder than expected causing everyone in the room to blush 

"Yes?" Waverly said self-consciously earning a big smile from Nicole

"Now that you guys seem to be on the same page, let's talk clubs!" Wynonna said excitedly 

/

Less than two hours after their awkward conversation, the three women plus Dolls were driving towards a club downtown. Waverly had refused to wear the dress her sister had picked for her, instead she used Nicole's help to figure out her outfit, ending up with a cropped top and a high waisted skirt while the bodyguard wore jeans and a tight shirt, which, to Waverly's annoyance, earned an approving thumbs up from Wynonna. The three women were halfway out the door when they were stopped by and inquisitive Dolls who, upon hearing their plans for the night, immediately decided his presence was necessary. The man pulled up on the parking lot and they all waited inside the car while Wynonna worked her magic and got them the VIP passes. 

The club was highly recommended by one of Wynonna's party friends, and they were on point when they said the place was one of the best clubs in the world. As they walked towards their exclusive lounge, Waverly noticed how the decor flowed through the entire club, shades of purple and golden were seen in everything, from the walls to the bar, and dark corners, which the writer assumed were to hide the loving couples, were everywhere. With every step they took, the music became louder, more people became visible and lights started to blink frantically, which caused a wave of anxiety to spread through Waverly's body. She felt every single one of her muscles tensing up but immediately relaxing when Nicole's hands found hers and the woman intertwined their fingers. 

They hadn't been in the club for more than two minutes before their designated waiter brought them the first bottle of vodka, and before another five passed Wynonna was finishing her second glass. Dolls, who despite Waverly's attempt of getting him to relax, was in full bodyguard mode and definitely wasn't drinking and Nicole decided she would refrain from alcohol choosing to stick to water. Since Wynonna wasn't one to drink alone and since she was trying to relax and have a good time, Waverly caught herself accompanying her sister's rhythm, not that it would have mattered much, after all the Earps sure knew how to take their alcohol. The writer couldn't get her eyes off of Nicole and the more relaxed she felt, the morn heated she was, but there was something holding her back from making a move, which didn't pass unnoticed by her sister who pulled her by the hand excusing themselves. 

"Dude, what are you doing?" She asked annoyed

"Partying with you?" Waverly stated simply 

"No. None of us is partying" Wynonna said "Dolls is looking for some imminent danger everywhere, Haught can't keep her eyes off of you and you seemed to be glued to your seat" her annoyance visible in her tone 

"What do you want me to do?" She said half angry

"Have fun!" Her sister answered in the same tone

"Well, our definitions of fun might not be the same" Waverly said "I for once don't exactly like to be around this many people" For an untrained ear, her words were a simple result of her stubbornness and annoyance but Wynonna knew her sister better than that

"Wave, look around" Her voice much calmer "They're all either drunk or here to have fun with their friends or are desperately trying to get laid" She took a minute to make sure her sister was still with her "No one here cares about who you are"

"I know" Waverly suddenly felt really small

"The only person here, besides me, who cares about you is that redhead over there" Wynonna said pointing straight to Nicole who was watching them attentively from where she stood "And man, that girl looks at you like you're the only thing in this entire room" She pointed out "Which is gross, by the way"

"Of course" Waverly rolled her eyes 

"But she's here for you and I would bet everything I own that she'd go anywhere with you" Wynonna pulled her sister closer in order to whisper to her ear "Now you either get the hell up and take that Haught lady to the dance floor or I will" her pun might've amused Waverly weren't her sister threatening to get dirty with her girlfriend

"Like she'd go for you" Waverly teased

"Please baby girl, have you seen me dance? I can get anyone I want" Wynonna seemed to work something out on her mind before continuing "In fact, I might do just that"

Waverly followed her sister's gaze and laughed loudly when she realized the woman would in fact attempt to get Dolls attention. The world could think whatever they wanted about Wynonna, but Waverly knew that, despite her many flaws, she was an amazing person and an even better sister, so she was more than willing to let her try her chances with the bodyguard while the writer herself followed her sister's advice. She watched her sister dance for a little while before turning her gaze back to the redhead, which caused her heart to skip a beat. Nicole was beautiful and she was her girlfriend and she would most definitely take advantage of that. The writer walked towards the redhead before kissing her passionately. 

"Dance with me?" She asked already leading the way

"Yes"

Waverly let Nicole take the lead, turning her around and pulling her closer. The writer's back in complete contact with the bodyguard's front. They stood there for a while, taking in how well their bodies fit together, how simple it was for one to understand what the other wanted to do, how amazing it felt to be in each other's arms in the middle of so many people. The writer closed her eyes and started to dance in the rhythm of the remix the DJ was playing, her hips seeking the contact while her hands moved freely. She felt Nicole slowly adjusting her own dancing to hers and as soon as that happened the woman was leading again, her head resting on Waverly's shoulders and her hands on her hips. It was like they were the only ones in there, nothing else mattered, no one else mattered. 

They danced for what felt like hours. Nicole leading the way and Waverly following it. Nicole's hands playing with Waverly's hips and Waverly scotching closer. Nicole's lips kissing Waverly's neck and Waverly tilting her head to allow more contact. Nicole's fingers barely touching the skin on Waverly's stomach causing waves of electricity to flow through the woman's body. Electronic music played and was replaced by pop music which was replayed by mashups and remixes and they kept doing their thing. At some point Waverly was led towards one of those dark corners and she felt Nicole's lips hungrily taking her own, tongue desperately begging for entrance. She could've blamed it on the alcohol or on the way the lights seem to illuminate everyone but them or on the way the bodyguard was looking at her with eyes filled with desire, but Waverly simply allowed her body to take over her mind. Nicole's hands traveled from her hair to her back stopping at her ass, pulling her impossibly closer, but to her surprise she felt her girlfriend's leg pressing down her body. And they kissed. And they moved in the shadows. And Waverly was growing more and more aroused with the way Nicole seemed to combine the pressure on her ass with the one in the middle of her legs. She was ready to give in, to give the woman everything she asked for, to say yes to anything when she felt Nicole hesitantly pull back. 

"We should stop" Nicole said between shaky breaths

"Why?" Waverly asked unable to process anything other than what she felt mere seconds before

"Because I'm not sure I can stop myself if we don't" She said apologetically while she fixed Waverly's skirt

"We don't have to" The writer said 

"Yes we do baby" Nicole's tone was so soft that Waverly thought she might melt right there "I don't want our first time to be anything like this" 

"I don't really care" Waverly pleaded

"You will" Nicole laughed softly kissing the top of the writer's head

"But I want you" Suddenly Waverly was very pleased with their current stop that made it virtually impossible for her girlfriend to notice how hard she was blushing

"And I want you more than you'll ever know" Nicole kissed her lips tenderly and with no hurry "But I want to do right by you, I want to treat you the way you deserve to be treated and that's not happening if we let ourselves get carried away in the middle of a club"

"Okay" Waverly finally accepted the defeat opting to embrace the warmth and cuteness of her girlfriend "We should go back to the lounge then"

"I think I have a better idea" The bodyguard teased "Should you be interested in leaving the club with me right now"

"It's the middle of the night" Waverly giggle excitedly

"I know but I think I can make this work" Nicole giggled right back "Do you trust me?"

"Fully"

Waverly smiled. It probably wasn't even five am and she was about to start an adventure with her girlfriend in the middle of Amsterdam, a city neither of them had ever visited before, but somehow Waverly felt no fear and no creeping anxiety, she felt only the overwhelming excitement that took over her body. They tried locating Wynonna before they left but the woman was too immersed in her dancing that she completely ignored their attempts of communication, so they decided to search for Dolls instead. Waverly informed him that they were leaving together and that he shouldn't worry about them, but she kindly asked him to look over her sister and make sure Wynonna got back to the hotel in one piece. On that note, the writer casually instructed him to book her sister a new room because Waverly wanted some privacy, and before she had to explain herself any further the man smiled and nodded in agreement. Whether Dolls approved of their relationship or simply chose to act politely she'd never know, but Waverly chose to believe she had a friend on the man. 

The writer found her girlfriend outside the club talking animatedly to someone on the phone and as soon as she made her presence known the other woman gave her her coat signaling for them to get on a cab. They rode in silence back to the hotel and an infinity of scenarios played around Waverly's mind, most of which caused her to blush and to cross her legs, but to her momentary disappointment the hotel was only a stop so they could get a bicycle and two helmets. Nicole took the handlebar and started pedaling, making them distance from the hotel and start making their way through the city. 

Waverly took in everything about the city. It looked incredibly silent and asleep and she could've sworn it was a ghost town or something, but at every other corner she could hear music blasting out of speakers inside clubs and she could see the flashing lights illuminating the streets as they rode together. But everything only lasted seconds, like a secret slipping through someone's lips, every time the city seemed alive with music and lights it would quickly be replaced by silence and the moon. Much like their relationship, Waverly wrapped her hands around Nicole and welcomed the warm embrace, but she knew the night couldn't last forever and when the morning came, she would once again be the famous writer. But, if only for the night, she was decided to enjoy their freedom and anonymity, being just one more happy couple riding a bike together around Amsterdam.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey lads, so the feedback from last chapter was really really nice, it even gave me a few ideas i'll be using soon enough, so thank you very much for it. So as usual, feedbackas, opinons, ideas are very very welcome. And be kind bc this is my first time trying to write what you'll see in this chapter ;)

7.

The wind was blowing Waverly's hair as Nicole speeded up her rhythm and the bike rode faster. She was up on the bike and her arms were wide open to allow her whole body to experience the freedom caused by the combination of speed and wind. Nicole was struggling to keep their balance while she smiled brightly, feeling the writer's happiness. They looked like one of those classic romance couples that Waverly read countless versions of in college, those couples she often disliked because of how sappy they sounded. But, feeling the warmth spreading across her chest and the sweet sound of her girlfriend's laugh, finally made the writer understand the appeal of those couples. 

It wasn't even six in the morning but the city was starting to look more alive, people opening the windows for the sun to shine inside, business men and women kissing their partners goodbye before heading out to their days in the office, small cafe owners grinding coffee and spreading the characteristic smell across the street and bakeries' employees carefully arranging their cakes and sweets on display. Waverly and Nicole were giggling out loud, carefree in their display of young love, eliciting looks from annoyance and admiration from the pedestrians beginning their daily routines. 

"Waverly stand still!" Nicole giggled "We're going to fall!"

"No we're not! I trust you" Waverly pouted and refused to sit back down and ride a bike like a normal human

"This is supposed to be romantic!" Nicole shouted amused "Not a crazy adventure"

"But I'm having fun!" The writer continued pouting "I can almost fly!" She said excitedly in an attempt to prove her point

"Baby we've been riding this bike for almost two hours now. I have no energy left" Nicole said calmly, unable to wash away the smile of her face "If you want to pedal be my guest"

"I don't know how to ride a bike" the writer said simply. In any other circumstance she would've been ashamed of that fact but with Nicole she always felt safe, validated and respected and she knew she wouldn't be mocked because of it

"You don't?" Her girlfriend asked curiously 

"No. My dad never taught me" Waverly stated simply before remembering something "Shorty tried to teach me a couple of times but I'm not that good with hand eye coordination"

"Shorty?" Nicole asked finally giving up riding the bike and helping her girlfriend out of it so they could walk side by side 

"Yes, he lived in the neighborhood and was more of a dad to me than Wyatt" Waverly laced her fingers with her girlfriend's "I want you to meet him"

"So we're there in our relationship? Introducing me to your family and loved ones?" Nicole teased in an attempt to hide her nerves 

"Well, you did get to know my sister on our first day, so I'd say we're way past that point" Waverly laughed 

"I wasn't exactly trying to get her approval then" Nicole pointed out

"She was the one who hired you" The writer said in an attempt to defend her point "I might be the one paying your salary but don't be fooled, she's the boss"

"Fine. Let me rephrase that then" Nicole took a few seconds to organize her train of thoughts "Back then I was trying to impress Wynonna because I wanted the job, it wasn't because I wanted anything else"

"And why do you want to impress her now?" Waverly arched her eyebrow, suddenly becoming interested in the direction of the conversation

"Because..." Nicole pulled Waverly closer in order to whisper to her ear "I now want..." She stopped very aware of the fact that writer was holding her breath

"Yes?" Waverly felt the butterflies in her stomach grow restless as Nicole's voice got lower and huskier 

"I want coffee" Nicole laughed loudly eliciting an annoyed huff from her girlfriend but before Waverly could walk away she pulled her back in and stopped joking around "I want Wynonna's approval because now I want to get her sister out of her clothes. That's why" For a second Waverly thought she might either collapse dead on the floor or she would jump Nicole's bones right there "But I do want coffee as well, so what do you think?"

"Yes" She managed to say regardless of how messy her brain was 

"To the coffee right?" Nicole winked flirtatiously "I think I saw one cool cafe on our way here"

Nicole held her hand for Waverly to take it and they walked in silence towards the place the redhead had seen. Waverly's mind was in overload. They had hit "almost" twice and the writer wasn't quite sure her body could take another almost. She wanted Nicole, all of her. She wanted to kiss her like she deserved to be kissed, she wanted to explore new things and she wanted to learn how to make Nicole feel all the right things. They used to look at each other with eyes filled with excitement, adoration and passion, although as time passed and their relationship progressed their eyes started to show their desire. First it was innocent and sweet, a desire to be in each other presence, to make each other laugh and relax, then it became intense, turning their lips into magnets, but after London, the desire was ripping their insides with intensity. The writer was certain she knew the mechanics of it but she still didn't know exactly what to do when it happened, so she was most certainly nervous

Waverly stopped her inside monologue for mere seconds, just enough to see Nicole walking distractingly, caring only about their intertwined fingers and her grip on the bicycle. By that point in their relationship, Waverly was quite sure the bodyguard could read her very well, all of her facial expressions and all of her tells, but most of all, she knew exactly when the writer's mind would travel elsewhere leaving her talking to herself. She wasn't intentionally trying to be rude or anything like that, having those internal monologues was a habit she had picked up since she was a little girl, one that is not strange to introspective kids. She'd often let her mind travel to her characters, the ones she was writing, the ones she was planning on writing and the ones she might never write. But lately her mind seemed to travel back and forth to the woman holding her hand, she would replay every moment, imagine their future and wonder for hours on end how to best deal with her insecurities. She'd think about everything regarding Nicole and their relationship. 

They walked for a few minutes, Nicole trying to keep control of the bike while she practically led her girlfriend to the cafe and Waverly toying with ideas and more ideas inside her mind. The waiter welcomed them with a lazy smile and Waverly figured they probably were the only non-regulars to enter the place at that hour. They picked a table by the window that allowed them a view of the water and consequently allowed them to people watch, which was one of her guilty pleasures, one that her girlfriend was very good at given her job. She took a few seconds to decide her order, giving it very little thought since all she cared about was their date, but Nicole refused to let the writer pick anything, which was simply a regular coffee, choosing herself a few beverages with local ingredients. Waverly giggle the whole time, she was awake for almost 24 hours and her body was tired, but she was damn sure she could spend forever just a walking around with Nicole and watching her being herself. 

"Hi" The writer said in between giggled as they pushed aside the first coffee, which tasted awful and made them seriously question their adventurous alimentary decision

"I'm glad you're back" Nicole smiled and Waverly noted how she didn't seem to mind her little trip "What were you thinking about?"

"You" Waverly confessed happily "I'm always thinking about you if I'm being honest" 

"Is this the sleep deprivation talking?" Nicole joked but her eyes shone brighter

"No, but I wouldn't discard the remaining alcohol just yet" She joked right back

"I thought you Earps could keep your alcohol in check" She teased

"That's Wynonna. But you never know" Waverly made a mental note to check up on her sister sometime soon

"Why were you thinking about me?" Nicole asked more seriously 

"Well, for starters you're my girlfriend" Waverly stated simply and she watched as Nicole seemed to catch her breath "Then you always seem to plan the best dates ever"

"Waverly" The redhead's voice was incredibly sweet and sent shivers down the writer's spine "I l..." Waverly could've sworn she was going to confess something huge when the waiter interrupted them

"This is the second order" She smiled looking directly towards the writer "The cake is on the house" she winked and Waverly wasn't quite sure what was going on but by Nicole's annoyed look she took an educated guess and assumed the waiter was flirting with her

"Looks like you're making friends already" The redhead joked in an attempt to hide her discomfort and annoyance

"I don't need more friends, I've got everything I need right here" The writer said looking directly to her girlfriend and taking her hands trying to relax her "Now, what do you think they're doing?" She pointed to the people outside the window, walking by the water

"I don't know" Nicole looked at them attentively for a few minutes before she spoke again "I think that one guy in red is going to work, but he doesn't seem too happy about it so maybe he hates his job or he has someone he loves laying in his bed"

"Okay, that's good, how about the old woman" Waverly pointed to a figure in white, noticing how her girlfriend seemed to relax with their game

"Well, she looks like she's people watching, like us. I bet at some point she wondered what two hot chicks like us are doing here" Nicole giggled and Waverly had to remind herself to breathe "Those were easy, give me something harder"

"Okay. How about those two over there?" She pointed at two figures walking side by side

"That one is quite simple babe" Nicole stated simply before continuing "He loves her" 

"That's a strong statement, how do you know that?" Waverly said interested in the other's woman mind

"Because it's obvious" She said and Waverly felt her hand being held tighter "It's chilly outside and he's not wearing a coat, but he's shaking slightly which means he's cold. The coat she's wearing is way too big for her, so we can assume he gave her his coat because he much rather be chilly than have her being cold" Her words slipped out of her tongue with such an ease that it almost looked like it was something she had thought of before "He looks at her like she's the most precious thing in the world and the way he holds her hand, so soft and yet so tight, shows exactly how he feels" Nicole took a breath and her eyes lingered for one second too long on Waverly's before returning her attention to the couple "He knows she's his right now but he's afraid to let himself believe that fully, so he's holding on to her for dear life afraid that she may be gone if he doesn't"

"Oh" At some point during the speech, the writer started to wonder if the familiarity of those words were intentional "And I thought I was the writer one" She tried to joke eliciting a smile from her girlfriend

"I have my moments" Nicole laughed, but the air was too loaded with the weight of those words and that half confession "Let's finish breakfast and get back to the hotel, I'm starting to get a bit tired and you probably are too"

They ate in a comfortable silence. Coffee didn't get any better as the waiter laid more options so, despite Nicole's stubbornness, Waverly ordered two regular cappuccinos and two slices of lemon cake to go. They wondered whether or not it was a good idea to try and ride the bike back home, but since Nicole was too tired and Waverly had no idea how to do it properly, they ended up taking a cab together. Her fingers were still laced as they arrived at the hotel, and they were still giggling like teenagers when they got to their room. Waverly was happy and life was light, she was supposed to be tired, her body was supposed to be giving in to exhaustion but she felt more awake and energized than she ever felt before. She knew what she wanted and after her morning date with Nicole she no longer wondered if the desire was mutual. 

The writer untangled their fingers and watched as Nicole fell face first into their bed and she giggled at the sound the other woman made when her body welcomed the sweet embrace of their comforter. The writer excused herself to go take a shower in order to relax but decided to check on her sister before doing so. The first three calls went straight to voicemail and when Waverly was beginning to worry, Dolls called her from his own phone explaining that Wynonna had lost hers somewhere in the car but that she was peacefully sleeping on his room, he also explained the reason behind their sleeping arrangement, which was a result of Wynonna's drinking stubbornness. The man promised to keep an eye on the woman and to take her to lunch when she woke up, and before hanging up Waverly asked him to keep her entertained and away from their room so she could have some privacy. She might've blushed harder wasn't for the growing desire creeping up on her brain. 

Waverly took in a deep breath, looking in the mirror and trying her hardest to work her confident face. She had been working daily on her fake brazenness, walking around with a confident smile and flirty lines and making all the first moves, but the truth she desperately tried to hide was that Nicole scared the living shit out of her. Whenever she was around the woman, Waverly would feel all at once, she'd feel so small, unprotected and vulnerable but at the same time she'd feel too big for her own body, she'd feel safe and sure. She was exposed, and she was willingly putting herself out there, accepting any and every possible outcome. She was afraid, terrified even, scared to take a wrong turn, to make a wrong decision, to not be enough, she was afraid that maybe her lack of experience would make it all bad, boring and unpleasant. And all she wanted was to make Nicole taste heaven. But Waverly stood tall, certain that whatever path she took, her girlfriend would be there with her, even if it was the wrong one, she'd be there to help her and guide her, she knew she didn't have to fear. And more than that, the writer had a good feeling that they would fit together, perfectly. Waverly put her hair up in a messy bun and wrapped the robe around her body after a quick pep talk. 

"I thought I was going to fall asleep alone" Nicole giggled lazily "The bed felt very empty"

"I'm sorry I took too long" Waverly said nervously and Nicole seemed to catch on to her tone 

"It's okay, I was just joking" The bodyguard said adjusting her body on the bed so she could eye Waverly better

"I know" The writer took a deep breath calming her nerves "Are you tired?" She tested the waters still unable to completely shake the anxious tone of her voice

"A little, but it's okay. Do you wanna talk?" Nicole asked unsure of what was going on, afraid that maybe the anxious vibe she was catching on from her girlfriend was something serious

"I don't want to talk" Waverly said taking a few steps towards the bed 

"Wave" Nicole somehow managed to say in between trying to keep her self-control and quickly moving towards the end of the bed

"I want you" the writer stood between Nicole's legs, holding her head up high but feeling her confident self start to vanish as her girlfriend showed some reluctance and despite her every fiber telling her not to Waverly was starting to believe that maybe she had got the message wrong "Or maybe... Maybe you're not in the mood"

"Waverly" Nicole said in a sweet tone but her eyes were darker than ever "I'm always in the mood for you"

Waverly held her breath. Time slowed down. She waited for something, anything at all to interrupt them, to make them hit an almost again. She waited for her sister to show up with a sarcastic remark or a joke. She waited for the phone to ring. She waited for the world to burn down. But nothing happened. That moment was theirs and theirs alone, and that time they would not stop at an almost. Waverly couldn't remember exactly when was the last time she breathed, but as Nicole stood up and claimed her lips hungrily she was sure she was going to die. Her lips tasted like her, but it tasted like something else as well, it tasted like realization, like certainty, like a confession of desire, of love. Nicole didn't ask for permission before her tongue found entrance, she didn't ask for permission as she claimed her mouth making Waverly moan in pleasure, she didn't ask for permission when she pushed her against the wall. Waverly was hers. Everything she was, was hers. She'd had seen Nicole innocently desire her and she had seen her undressing her with her eyes. But nothing could've prepared her for what she saw in Nicole's eyes at that moment, an amount of adoration and craving desire never seen before. 

"Are you sure?" Nicole asked hesitantly, holding her hand to the partially opened robe "Baby..." Nicole tried again starting to pull her hand back when her girlfriend nodded almost imperceptibly "I'm going to need a verbal confirmation baby" Nicole giggled

"Yes. I'm sure" Waverly said nervously 

The writer knew she needed to take charge of the situation in order to calm her nerves, so she took Nicole's hands away from her robe and took it out herself, before undoing the messy bun on her hair. The cotton cloth fell to the floor so slowly it looked like slow motion, but when it did it exposed Waverly's nakedness surprising Nicole and causing the woman to look at her with mesmerized eyes. The writer instinctively blushed and attempted to cover her body, half expecting Nicole to laugh at her reaction, after all that's what she had grew used to, but differently from her memory, in a swift move Nicole started kissing her again passionately. Her hands traveling through Waverly's side, moving up and down, experimenting the feeling of her naked body against her hands. The way Nicole's fingers would barely touch the skin was sweet and warm but sent shivers down her spine and Waverly couldn't decide if it was pleasure or torture to feel her girlfriend teasing. 

"You're beautiful" Nicole said pulling away to observe her girlfriend's body before looking deep inside Waverly's eyes "You're so so beautiful baby" she patiently kissed her lips, the tip of her nose, her cheeks and her forehead, putting in as much affection as she could in every kiss before she talked again "You're perfect"

Waverly was tasting heaven and Nicole hadn't even touched her yet, her words and the honesty in her voice was making it hard for the writer to think. She felt Nicole's hand pulling her closer and she was suddenly very conscious of the fact that her girlfriend was still fully dressed, but before she could desperately rip her clothes off, Nicole was carefully leading them back to the bed. Her girlfriend pushed her lightly, making her fall flat on her back into the comforter, and Waverly had to take in deep breaths and she watched Nicole slowly strip out of her clothes. The woman was wearing a cute pair of underwear and Waverly wondered if she had picked them the previous night in hopes they would end up in a messy pile of their clothes on the floor of their hotel room. She secretly hoped so. 

Nicole moved to lay on top of Waverly, and the writer's skin burned where it touched Nicole's naked form. If simple touches were fire, she was ready to burn down the whole place. Waverly took Nicole's mouth and claimed it her own, biting softly from time to time, making the sexiest noises come out of her girlfriend's mouth but as quickly as she had taken control, she lost it. Nicole's thigh was pressing her center and she was having a hard time keeping herself in check. The woman started trailing kisses from her mouth down her body, exploring every corner, tasting every bit, taking in the way Waverly would moan or hold her breath when she'd bite down a little or when she'd hit a special spot, and with every new reaction, Nicole would go a little further. Waverly noticed how her girlfriend seemed to know exactly what she would like and what she wouldn't like, and Waverly thought that maybe it was because they were indeed so perfect together. 

Waverly closed her eyes shut when her girlfriend unexpectedly kissed her center but desperately opened them again when she felt Nicole pulling away abruptly. The woman was looking at her with worry and she had to verbally assure her that she was okay before the other woman returned to the kissing. It was paradise. The way every muscle on her body tensed up before a final wave of pleasure caused her to moan loudly and come crashing. Waverly mumbled something intelligible, unable to make her mind work and she heard Nicole giggling in response. Her girlfriend tenderly kissed her way back up, kissing the inside of her thighs, her belly button, her chest and her neck, before finally placing a lazy kiss on her lips. 

"Are you okay?" Nicole asked while she cuddled her still shaky girlfriend helping her ride her high

"I suppose I'm more than okay" Waverly giggled "I'm awesome" she turned around just enough to be able to look at Nicole's eyes "You're amazing" She said lazily, still recovering "And you're incredibly beautiful"

"I'm nothing compared to you baby" Nicole kissed her passionately, hands toying with Waverly's messy hair "Are you tired?"

"No" Waverly smirked seductively

"Good" She winked before licking her lips slowly

Waverly giggled at the very theatrical move and they found themselves exchanging sloppy kissed in between loud laughs. They were naked in bed, after their first time, and they were laughing, and Waverly cursed herself for spending so much time with someone who didn't make her neither laugh like that nor feel that much pleasure. She wanted to feel bad and guilty for all that wasted time, but how bad could she be if she was laying naked in bed with an outstanding lady like Nicole? Suddenly she was overcome with the love and adoration she felt for Nicole and she kissed her passionately, desperately trying to show that to her girlfriend, to make Nicole feel the same overwhelming love, to express what she couldn't yet put into words.

Midway through that love confession Waverly felt Nicole's hand traveling down her body, playing with her breasts and teasing her entrance before entering her. The writer tightened her grip on the exposed sheets and kissed her girlfriend between moans of pleasure. She watched as Nicole's eyes studied her expressions and her reactions in order to deliver her more pleasure. The woman took her time building Waverly up and with one final movement pushed her over the edge for the second time that night. 

Nicole fell back into the comfort of their bed, visibly exhausted but wearing a satisfied smile on her lips. They were laying together with entangled limbs, sweaty faces and tired bodies, and Waverly could feel Nicole slowly falling asleep next to her, but the writer wanted more, despite her sleep deprivation and the peace and quiet of that perfect moment, she wanted more. She wanted to give back. Waverly double checked to make sure her girlfriend wasn't really asleep before she hungrily connected her lips to Nicole's core, causing the woman to shut her eyes open and arch her back with the surprising feeling. And Waverly let herself explore for a while, being guided by the approving sounds Nicole let out or by lack thereof. She experimented different combination and movements and velocities and she drove Nicole near the edge a few times before slowing it down provocatively until she gave her the sweet release. 

"You're good at this" Nicole said after a few minutes of silence

"I had a good teacher" Waverly answered slowly, having to fight the urge to close her eyes and drift off into a peaceful sleep

"Hum" her girlfriend hummed in approval, before kissing the back of her neck and adjusting their bodies together "We should do this again"

"Soon" Waverly mumbled

And with that, they fell asleep together, exhaustion finally taking over. In her sleep, Waverly inevitably dreamt about Champ and how he had led her to believe that things, that love, was supposed to be hard, rough, inquisitive and egoistical. How he would never just lay in bed with her, simply enjoying the comfort of the contact, no need to talk or touch. How he would dismiss her insecurities as stupidity and how he would laugh when she couldn't let them go. How it was always taking instead of giving. And mostly how all of her hopes and dreams were mere background noise in comparison to his. Waverly thought about how she had such low self-expectations, that she let herself believe his love was all she deserved. But there she was, once again sleeping on someone's embrace, but this times the only thing she felt was pure happiness. 

The writer woke up a few hours later, when noises coming from the living room pulled her abruptly out of her peaceful dreams. She felt cold despite the fact that she was wrapped in three blankets and she smiled when she remembered the events of earlier. Waverly shifted in bed to try and kiss her girlfriend hello, but she found and empty space where the woman once was. Panic started to grow inside her and the writer's mind was already toying with a multitude of scenarios, which went from all of that being a dream to Nicole simply walking away from her, before she heard her girlfriend's voice coming from the other room. 

"I think that Waverly has spent her whole life tailoring who she is to the people she's with and she's only now starting to figure out what she really wants and who she can be" Nicole said in between giggles and Waverly wondered what was going on since she clearly caught the middle of a conversation

"Dude, you're like a walking bumper sticker who's armed. She should definitely be hanging out with you" when Wynonna responded and the writer made a mental note to confront Dolls on how he had lost track of her sister despite their agreement earlier that day

"I agree" Nicole stopped giggling and her tone sounded more serious "I really like your sister"

"I figured" Wynonna said relaxed "Waverly is very special, she's the best of us Earps. She has big dreams and she works really really hard to make them come true" Wynonna took a second to speak again and Waverly realized her sister was dealing with a hangover "She has the talent and the dedication"

"And the looks" Nicole said before Waverly heard a loud smack which she could only assume was her sisters response 

"That's a shared trait" Wynonna said in a fake offended tone "But I'm being serious, Waverly is special"

"I know Wynonna" Nicole said simply and for a second the writer wondered if she should go rescue her girlfriend from the inquisition

"She's amazing but she's also very vulnerable. She trusts too easily and smiles too much. She sees friends in everyone and that can be both sweet and dangerous" Wynonna said in a serious tone "I'm not the best sister in the world and I can't protect her from everything and everyone"

"I don't suppose anyone can" Nicole said eliciting an approving sound from her sister "But you know I'll do everything I can to keep her safe"

"I know, I know, you're one of the good ones, Haught stuff, and I actually do like you" Wynonna said "But if you ever hurt my little sister, I'll come for you"

"I wouldn't expect anything less" Nicole said in a light tone and Waverly smiled from her position at the other side of the door 

"Good!" Wynonna's voice was muffled by her steps and the writer assumed she was leaving the room "Now I need to find Dolls and get him a very very late breakfast" She opened the door before continuing "Don't let Wave know that or I won't hear the end of it" she laughed

"Don't worry, I won't tell your sister" Nicole laughed back

"I like you Haught." Wynonna closed the door and Waverly hurried back to the bed to avoid getting caught eavesdropping and she heard her sister shout form the corridor "Don't get too nasty with my sister!" And she heard Nicole giggling happily before returning to their bed and kissing Waverly's forehead and adjusting her body to her old position without realizing she was in fact very much awake.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, I must say your support and feedback always make my day and make me even more excited to write this story and see where it goes, so thank you guys and keep them coming! Also, you'll see some of y'all's ideas in this chapter, and I really hope you guys like it ;)

8.

Gus entered the room with an annoyed look on her face and Waverly was pretty sure she knew what was getting the woman so upset. Ever since Wynonna arrived, three days earlier, the Earp name was in every single tabloid around the world, but not in the positive manner her publishers and her manager would like. It all started after they attended the club in Amsterdam, apparently Wynonna had gotten way too drunk, which Waverly could’ve sworn wasn’t possible, and got herself photographed and filmed before Dolls could take her home. The owners of said videos and photos sold those to a gossip website and ever since that, they were being followed everywhere by paparazzi trying to get a comment from her sister. But that was an ordinary day for party girl Earp, the problem only actually started when some fans found, on the background of one of those videos, Waverly dancing excitedly, to say the least, with an “unknown girl”. It was mayhem. They had released a statement affirming that the video had led people to misread the situation, and that video showed only two friends having fun, but it was a little bit too late and everyone seemed to be talking about that.

The writer didn’t really mind being on the spotlight, and minded even less people wondering if she was dating the person on the video, she was somewhat a celebrity and, despite how rare her name appeared on tabloids, she was used to that situation. But what Waverly really hated was how terrified Nicole looked. Waverly could’ve sworn that, up until that very moment, the bodyguard hadn’t realized how unique their relationship was, how dating someone who has a lot of fans is. The woman walked around much quieter, she didn’t flirt as much and she barely spoke directly to the writer unless they were completely alone in their room, and even then it all seemed a bit cold and Waverly didn’t know for sure what was causing the woman to react like that, if it was the fact that the public was desperately trying to find out anything and everything they could on the mystery girl or the fact that Waverly and her team had brushed off their relationship like it didn’t even matter, she tried to put herself in her girlfriend's position and realized that it probably was the fear of having her life being turn upside down. Luckily Nicole’s face wasn’t too visible on the video which made it virtually impossible for people to figure out who she was, and Waverly considered that a plus, even so both Dolls and Gus decided it was for the best if the redhead kept her distance while, in order to keep the mess controlled. It was an impossible situation and Waverly hated every second of it, she felt incredibly guilty and it was killing her to see Nicole so distressed.

Wynonna, who was supposed to leave right after they left Amsterdam, decided to stick around for a little longer, both to be a support system for her sister and to try and deviate the attention back to her, which Waverly was sincerely thankful for. She was making it her mission to be as loud and as problematic as she could, causing drama all around Paris and social media, she even started to publically talk to Doc, which in fact did get some attention back to her. Waverly knew her sister like no one else, and she knew the woman felt incredibly guilty for causing all that mess and that she wouldn’t rest until she found a way to fix it, so she simply let her sister join her and do her thing.   
As soon as the news broke, Wynonna moved out of their room, she tried to justify it as being a logical reaction because, in her own words, that way the young couple could get an alone time, and although Waverly actually believed that was part of the reason, she knew it wasn’t the whole thing. Wynonna missed her sister and pushing herself away was a simple mechanism to punish herself for the mess she believed to have caused, that was a normal reaction for the woman and Waverly grew up used to it.

“Wynonna, you don’t have to get another room” Waverly tried to explain for the millionth time

“Of course I do!” She said in an annoyed tone like she was speaking to a stubborn teenager “How are you and Haught gonna get your freak on with me in the room?”

“We’re not…” Waverly tried to deny her sister’s suppositions but decided against it “We can very well control ourselves, you needn’t worry”

“But you shouldn’t control young love” Wynonna teased

“You know I’m not that much younger right?” The writer giggled

“Still” Her sister pushed her slightly “Me, as a good big sister, should not cock block you”

“I don’t think that’s a big sister’s job” She laughed out loud “In fact you, as my legal guardian, should probably advise me otherwise or something”

“I’m a cool big sister” Wynonna stated “But seriously baby girl, I really need to leave you guys alone and go get my own room. You know, so I can make my own mess”

“You’re not to blame for my mess Wynonna” The writer tried to take away a little of her sister’s guilt

“Sure thing” Her sister deflected “Look I’m getting my own room and that’s it”

“Fine” Waverly gave up trying to convince her stubborn sister of anything “But you better not be planning on sleeping on Dolls bed again”

“First of all!” Wynonna said in a half offended half amused tone “We’re both consenting grownups, then nothing happened I just passed out drunk in his room and he slept on the floor, and lastly” she looked right into her sister’s eyes before continuing “if you can get your freak on with your bodyguard why can’t I do the same?”

“Because…” Waverly tried to find a reason as to why her sister shouldn’t do it “Do you love him?”

“It’s just sex Waverly. God. And it didn’t even happen” Wynonna huffed 

“That wasn’t a no” The writer tried again

“For your information I’m going out with your friend Doc tonight” Wynonna statement took Waverly by surprise “He’s taking me to some fancy restaurant and all of that romantic crap”

“I thought you liked Dolls” Waverly said more to herself than to anyone else “You don’t have to go out with him in order to get the media’s attention out of me”

“Don’t flatter yourself too much little sister” Wynonna tried to mock and although Waverly could see straight through her bullshit she decided to not say anything” Doc is hot, in a very bad boy kind of way” Wynonna said already leaving the room “What’s not to like about him”

Waverly was left in the room alone and she wondered why every woman in her life seemed to be so stubborn and bossy. Wynonna was up to no good with Doc Holliday and for a second there the writer actually wondered if it was a good idea to have her slightly problematic sister hanging out with the main star of her upcoming book adaptation, but she decided to give the woman a chance before sending Gus to separate them. And Nicole was nowhere to be seen, which would probably mean she was either out for a run, but, given it was almost 10pm, that idea didn’t sound very realistic, or she was hiding in Dolls room doing bodyguard stuff, which only meant she wanted some peace and quiet of her own. But Waverly was in Paris, in a badass hotel room with a view for days, and she was completely alone. She took in a deep breath and wished with everything she had that she could go back in time and relive those moments of pure happiness when she and Nicole were in their bubble of happiness.

After a few moments of reminiscing, she decided to something useful with her unexpected and unwanted free time and picked up her computer to try and write a little bit. Normally, after a few minutes starring at the blank page in front of her, the words would start to come out naturally and she’d lose track of time, would lose her notion of night and day and wouldn’t care if the world came crashing around her. When she was in writer mode there were only her, her characters and their stories. However, standing alone in the middle of her hotel room didn’t make her comfortable anymore, the silence, the peace and quiet she always loved so much now seemed to suffocate her, she didn’t want to be alone, not when she had someone whose body fit perfectly with hers when they laid together, someone whose lips tasted like raspberries and happiness, someone whose laughter was a symphony played by angels, someone whose face was tattooed in her brain. No, Waverly didn’t want the peace and quiet, she wanted Nicole and all of their slightly messy relationship. She knew she should respect the woman’s desire for some space and quietude, but she was suffocating alone in that room, so she decided she much rather just sit with her girlfriend and observe her while she did her thing than to stay there on her own. She opened and the door and was surprised to see Champ standing in the middle of the hallway holding a few items on his hands and looking very disturbed.

“Do you care to explain yourself?” Champ said in a scary angry tone and Waverly felt every single bone in her body telling her to run but with a few quick steps he was standing dangerously close to her “Isn’t that your bodyguard?” he said throwing a piece of paper in her direction and forcing her back inside her room 

“Yes” Waverly swallowed hard when she looked at the photo on the paper “That’s Nicole” she tried to keep calm in order to not upset the man any further, after all that was Champ, and the man didn’t have the capability of hurting a fly, let alone the woman he claimed to love

“And what were you two doing exactly?” The man said and the writer noted how his eyes were filled with an anger she had never seen before and she started to wonder if she should start fearing him

“Champ, you need to go” She tried to step away but the man had pushed her against the wall and held her hands in a tight grip and she just couldn’t move “You need to let me go and get the hell out of here”

“Or what?” He said mockingly “Are you going to scream till your little ginger butch girlfriend shows up?” 

“Please Champ” She pleaded and when she was about to scream for help, Wynonna appeared in the hallway, apparently about to leave for her date, and immediately tried to protect her sister

“Hey! Get the hell away from my sister” Wynonna yelled before she could even get a glimpse on who she was talking to but as soon as he turned around, her anger and frustration increased “Oh for fucks sakes Champ, get out of here”

“Wynonna stay in your lane” He said angrily “Your presence is not wanted, as always”

“Shut up Champ” Wynonna said “And get the hell away from my sister or so help me god!”

“It’s not like Waverly ever needed you to help her in anyway in her life” his words coming out like a sharp knife “Or like you were ever there for her when she did. Don’t act like you care now” the venom in his words was enough to weaken Wynonna’s strength 

“I…” Wynonna tried to work something out in her mind and Waverly could’ve sworn she was going to punch the man but before she could do anything another door was being open and her two bodyguards appeared in the hallway

“What the hell is going on in here?” Dolls said in an authoritarian tone that made everyone look at him

“Oh great! The whole gang is here” Champ said in an almost maniac tone and Waverly wondered if that was his normal crazy self or if something else was going on

“Champ, are you on something other than your regular whiskey?” She asked still tiptoeing, afraid she might push the man over the edge

“Shhh Waverly” He said before turning his attention to Nicole “I know people like you, you just want to take advantage of sweet and innocent Waverly Earp” he said reaching for the photograph the writer was holding “I see the way you look at her, I saw it on day one”

“Champ, let her go” Nicole said and Waverly noticed how she was assessing the situation, trying hard not to upset the man while trying to find a weak spot should she had to intervene

“I saw all of that, you know” He turned his attention back to the woman in his hands “So you think you two are like together now? That’s disgusting!” He talked back to Nicole, who was a few steps closer to the man “That’s disgusting” his once again sounded like a maniac and Waverly was certain the man wasn’t in total control of his actions “You know as soon as we broke up you swooped in and stole my girl”

“Champ stop!” Waverly screamed “I broke up with you years ago”

Everything after that happened way too fast. She felt his hands leaving her arms and for a second she felt a wave of relief taking over her body. But that lasted much less than she had hoped for. Out of nowhere the man pulled a knife and was lunching himself towards Nicole. Waverly held her breath and every moment she had spent with Nicole flushed through her eyes. Champ successfully pushed Dolls out of the way and continued walking towards the redhead, knife in one hand and eyes filled with an inexplicable and deadly rage. His movements were precise, like a predator hunting for its prey. One step. Two steps. Three steps. Waverly watched, unable to move or to scream or to anything, as his ex-boyfriend got closer and closer to the woman she loved. She wanted to say something, to tell Nicole to run, to tell Champ to stop, but she just couldn't move. In the corner of her eyes she saw Wynonna running towards her and trying to pull her back to the room while Dolls tried to get up and help his partner. But like Champ, Nicole was ready to get her prey. As soon as the man was in arms range from her, she laid a punch knocking him right out. The knife went flying to somewhere on the hallway and in a blink on an eye Nicole was tying him up with a cable tie that Waverly had no idea of where it came from and the police was being called. 

A few moments later she was being forcefully dragged out of the way by a very pissed off Wynonna Earp while the French police took Champ to their custody where, as she was informed, he would be charged with a few minor and major crimes such as stalking and attempted murder. Waverly was in auto pilot. Her brain was in overload. She couldn't wrap her head around the fact that Champ had done that, and she tried so hard to understand him. Sure, the man wasn't an example, not even close to that, he was flawed and messed up and a terrible boyfriend. But he was never, not once violent and because of her, because of one simple mistake that she was certain had to have an explanation, he was probably going to spend a long long time in jail and Waverly knew for sure that it would break him. She could hear her sister talking to her, asking a whole lot of questions but it was all background noise, all she could think about was how they had destroyed the man's life with that call to the police. The writer knew he had put everyone in danger and had actively tried to hurt her and Nicole, but she couldn't move past the belief that she could've talked him out of it, like she had always done. He wasn’t a bad guy, that was just a mistake, he probably was very drunk or something, or so she kept telling herself. Waverly saw her bodyguard shaking the policewoman's hand and walking inside Wynonna's room and, before she could fully process what she was doing, the words came out of her mouth. 

"What the fuck did you just do?" Her angry tone took everyone by surprise and Nicole immediately took a defensive stand

"What?" She asked unsure of what was going on

"Who do you think you are to call the police on him?" The writer was spilling the words so fast her brain couldn't process everything

"He assaulted you" Nicole stated simply and Waverly noted how she seemed to assess the situation like she did moments earlier with Champ

"He didn't hurt me" She yelled "Do you see any injuries?"

"Waverly, what's going on?" Nicole said and the hurt was visible in her tone

"You just ruined a good man's life by calling the authorities on him" Waverly tried to calm her nerves but the guilt inside of her was eating her alive and making it impossible for her to think properly

"He tried to hurt you" Nicole said again desperately trying to justify her actions "and me"

"And you had it all under control, didn't you?" She snapped "Wasn't he tied up? Wasn't he unable to get to me or to anyone in here?" 

"Still, what he did was a crime" Nicole said, her voice low, showing how hurt she was by the unexpected attack 

"He is not a criminal, Nicole, he's lonely and he's a little troubled" Waverly yelled "And you just sent a disturbed boy man to prison"

"Waverly, Nicole did what she was hired to do, lower your voice" Wynonna tried to intervene "The adrenaline is making you reckless. Calm down or you’re going to do something you’ll regret later"

"She wasn't doing her job when she called the police, she had the situation under control!" Waverly lashed out again, suddenly unable to control the growing bubble of anger inside of her "You never moved past the fact that I was engaged to him"

"Waverly I didn't call the police because I'm your girlfriend" Nicole was so hurt her voice was barely a whisper "I did it because I'm your bodyguard and that's what you pay me to do. To keep you safe"

"You were jealous and you ruined a good man's life because of it! That’s what you did" Waverly yelled.

Nicole looked at her in complete disbelief and, despite how angry and guilty she felt over the whole Champ situation, her heart broke in countless pieces as she watched the first tear slip out of her girlfriend's eyes and she watched the woman use her sleeve to swipe it off before turning back and running to her room. The adrenaline was kicking hard on Waverly’s brain and she felt her heart pounding hard on her chest. Something was wrong and she felt the symptoms taking over before she could understand the signs and try to stop the panic attack. She was hyperventilating and her breath was speeding, even though it seemed like the air wasn’t coming in, like she was being swallowed whole by a bubble of vacuum. She felt Wynonna’s preoccupied eyes on her and she knew her sister was saying something but her panicked stated was making it impossible for her to understand what she was trying to speak. Waverly felt it all at once, the cold shivers traveling down her spine and warm waves spreading all over her limbs, she felt light headed while she could’ve sworn she weighted more than the world itself. Her hands were shaking and her whole body was trembling, she was sweating and she felt nauseated. For a second there she thought maybe she would be crushed by her own mind but after a few moments she felt her sister dragging her to the shower, where she forced the writer to take a long and cold bath.

She had had panic attacks before, she wasn’t a stranger to the sudden surge of overwhelming anxiety that made her heart pound and her lungs unable to breathe, but those events were always related to her fear of being trapped in a room with many people. Therefore, Waverly couldn’t put her finger on what had caused that level of anxiety to take over her body like that, and as fast as it did. Wynonna was holding her steady under the shower, making sure the cold water and her warm embrace calmed her down and washed the panic away, and on some level, it did help, however as she relaxed and let herself be held by her sister, she felt tears running down her face and she was unable to stop them. She felt so utterly and completely guilty of letting the situation with Champ reach that point, of letting him reach that crazy state, of lashing out at Nicole, of making her girlfriend cry. Everything was just too much and Waverly was too small to handle the weight of all that guilt. She didn’t want to think. She didn’t want to relive every moment of that weird night. She just wanted to forget it all. The writer let her sister change her clothes and put her to bed under three layers of heavy comforters before she gave her a nice and war cup of tea.

“Are you okay baby girl?” Wynonna asked and Waverly noticed how her tone mirrored the worry her face displayed 

“Peachy” She tried to laugh but she was just too tired

“I’ve never seen you have a panic attack that strong” Wynonna said sincerely before sitting next to the writer “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Physically, yes. I can breathe just fine and my heart is in its normal pace” Waverly said “But emotionally I’m drained”

“Yeah, I wouldn’t expect anything other than that” Her sister said in a reassuring tone “What the hell even happened?”

“I don’t know. One second I was all happy and going to ask Nicole to have a later dinner with me and then Champ was here and there was a knife and I was yelling” Waverly said tiredly “Everything is such a blur”

“I didn’t even know Champ was still a thing” Wynonna asked suddenly realizing a more urgent matter “How the hell did he even find you?” 

“He shows up every now and then, but never like this” Waverly said and she noticed how her sister seemed to adjust her position on the bed

“Are you telling me that this is a normal occurrence?” She asked incredulous “Like, he shows up at your doorstep and you think this is normal?”

“He’s having a hard time dealing with everything” Waverly said defensively 

“No Waverly. A person can have a hard time dealing with a break up for two or three months, maybe even a little longer if the relationship meant a lot. But it’s been years!” Wynonna started to get heat up so she had to breathe in and out before she continued “That’s not normal, that’s being a stalker. And that’s dangerous”

“But he never did anything stupid before” Waverly tried to argue “He always goes away when I tell him to, he’s not dangerous, he’s just... lonely”

“Oh my god Waverly! You’re supposed to be the smart sister, stop being so stupid” Wynonna said suddenly unable to control her anger

“Excuse me?” Waverly asked

“The guy held you against your will and then he pulled a knife on your girlfriend” Wynonna pointed out the facts “That’s not something a normal and lonely guy does. That just isn’t. And you should’ve seen this coming a mile away, because he’s a stalker and stalkers don’t stop until someone gets hurt or goes to jail” Wynonna huffed “Damn it, Waverly”

“I know, but... I just... I just thought I could help him” She said in a defeated tone

“You can’t save everyone Waverly. You need to stop believing everyone is as good and pure as you are” Wynonna took a deep breath and pulled her sister closer before she continued “Some people are just as broken as they come and you can’t do anything about it”

“I fucked up, didn’t I?” Waverly asked tiredly

“Yes, you did. But not with me, and sure as hell not with him” The older woman said “You fucked up with one of the coolest people I’ve ever met. You fucked up with Haught.”

“Do you think I can fix this?” Waverly asked hopefully

“Well, you’re the smartest Earp and that woman loves you, so I’m pretty sure you’ll figure out a way to redeem yourself and go back to your disgusting young love thing” Wynonna giggled and Waverly was thankful for her sister

“You’re probably right”

They stood there together for a little longer, Waverly letting Wynonna hold and comfort her, knowing full well that her sister had gone through her fair share of fuck ups and was sort of an expert on how to deal with them. They had one more cup of tea together before the writer decided she was recovered enough to go face a nerve wrecking situation and not have another panic attack, so she picked up her key card where it stood on the table and walked patiently to her room. During the short path, she tried to think of what to say and how to justify herself and more than that, how to apologize for something she knew was completely and absolutely wrong, cruel and out of line. Her hands were shaking again as she knocked on her own room’s door, and they didn’t stop shaking while she waited for what seemed like an eternity for an answer that didn’t come. They shook as she opened the door and turned on the lights and they continued shaking as she let herself believe she would find her girlfriend peacefully sleeping in their bed. Waverly’s hand stopped shaking when she realized she was once again in Paris, in a badass hotel room with a view for days, and she was completely and utterly alone.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here we are! Sorry for the cliffhanger folks but they couldnt live in that happy bubble forever am I right? You'll get to take a look at Waverly's book and will get to understand a little bit better why Waverly has anxiety problems. Anyways, I hope you like it and i can assure you more drama is coming ;)

9.  


Everything sucked, Waverly thought to herself as she stood in front of Nicole's hotel room gathering enough courage to try knocking on her door for the fourth time. The first attempt happened mere second after she discovered Nicole had left their room and returned to her previous accommodations with her partner. The writer marched to her door with only one though in her mind, she was decided to fix their relationship and admit to being an asshole and honestly doing everything and anything she had to, but as soon as she took the few steps between their rooms she felt every ounce of her courage vanish. It was one thing having everything planned in here head, from how Nicole would look at her to the words she would say and how the writer would gain her back, but reality was a completely different thing, and she knew well enough that she was very good at imagining things. The second attempt happened after Waverly realized how futile, stupid and coward it was to just stay there waiting for something to magically happen or for the solution to fall from the sky, so she gave herself a long and hard pep talk right there in the middle of the hallway, and for a second there she actually felt inspired by her own words, not that it did much good because she ended up staring at the white door unable to make the muscles of her arm move and cursing her useless self.

Wynonna found her sister sitting in the carpet by the Black Badge Team's room and although Waverly thought it very odd that her sister seemed to be heading that direction at two in the morning she had to refrain from making any comments because she was in an incredibly awkward situation herself. Wynonna tried to persuade her into trying some liquid courage in order to speed up the process and when Waverly denied it the two Earp sisters engaged in a stare down contest that only ended when the writer promised to knock on the door after her sister left her alone, which obviously didn't happen. And after all of that Waverly continued to stare at the door hoping things didn't suck as hard as they did. The problem was, the writer was pretty sure she knew the right things to say and how Nicole would react, but she felt so guilty that even the most brilliant apology wouldn't be enough to cover it, but if she wanted to redeem herself she'd have to take a first step and try and fix her relationship. She gave up trying to craft the most perfect apology and let the fear of losing her girlfriend fuel her next moves, and with that she knocked on Nicole's door at 2:30 in the morning. 

"Waverly?" Nicole asked in a surprised voice as she opened the door and Waverly could see the woman holding her taser in one hand and only then realized how much of a bad idea it was to knock on someone's door that late in the night after said person had been through a traumatic experience only a few hours earlier "Do you know what time it is? What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to talk" The writer said nervously, feeling the guilt growing inside of her with every passing second "But it's okay if you don't want to. I mean, I did wake you up and it's the middle of the night"

"Sure Wave" the woman went back inside the room and the writer heard her putting the taser away before she resurfaced "But let's talk outside because Dolls is asleep and I don't want to wake him up" They sat on the carpet and Waverly noticed how Nicole kept her distance and she had to hide how much that hurt her

"I am so sorry" The writer said sincerely 

"Yeah, I know you are" the redhead said calmly and took out a few breaths before continuing "It's okay"

"Aren't you gonna scream back at me and point fingers and all of that?" Waverly asked unable to process how simple the apology had been and how calmly her girlfriend had reacted

"Why?" Nicole laughed "You apologized and I know you meant it"

"You shouldn't be nice to me, I screamed at you" The writer said shocked

"Yes you did, but you didn't mean those things" Nicole said and her voice cracked a bit, finally showing how hurt, tired and uncertain she was "Did you?"

"No!" Waverly couldn't say it fasts enough "I was being stupid and I was so wrong. Damn if I had listened to you since that day in California none of that would've happened today" She said closing the distance between them "And he tried to hurt you! I could never defend him after that"

"Then why you did it? Why did you react that way Wave?" Nicole said truthfully and Waverly took the time to watch her attentively, how her shoulders seemed to be heavy, how her head was low and her eyes looked distant and hurt "I just can't put my finger on it"

"Wynonna said it was the shock and the adrenaline and everything got mixed up in my mind and I said those stupid things because I was traumatized and anxious" Waverly said unable to look back at her girlfriend 

"Is that it?" Nicole asked and the writer wanted to laugh at how easy it was for her girlfriend to read her

"No I don't think so" And Waverly realized she was going to have to be completely honest if she wanted to express her feelings the right way "I just didn't want any more lives ruined around me" so she said truthfully "It seems like everyone that comes near me ends up with their lives fucked up look at Wynonna, Ward and now Champ. And I don't think I could carry that around with me, so I snapped at you"

"You’re not to blame at all for what happened to your family” She said “And neither of us was to blame for his behavior. We didn't do anything wrong, we were just...” The redhead let her eyes fall to the floor before continuing “Dancing" it wasn't until that moment that Waverly realized that Nicole wasn’t hurt because of the fight and she felt so stupid for taking so long to understand the real issue

"Even if we were doing anything more than dancing, you're my girlfriend Nicole" Waverly put her hands on Nicole's face forcing her to look inside her eyes "I know everything in my life is unusual and you're probably wondering if it's going to be this way forever, the whole hiding and all of that but it won't. I'm not trying to hide anything to anyone, I'm just trying to protect you" She said calmly, making sure her girlfriend was still with her "My life is a mess because I'm under the public gaze but your life doesn't have to" She took a deep breath before continuing "I'm so sorry I was so stupid and rude to you today, I’m sorry for this stupid fight, for Champ and I'm so sorry I've been handling the whole leak situation the way I have, it was never my intention to hurt you in any way"

"Okay. I forgive you" Nicole said sincerely and Waverly felt like a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders 

"Now can you please go back to our room? I got used to having your company" Waverly tried her luck

"Yes of course" She smiled "But only because Dolls snores"

Waverly stood in the hallway as Nicole returned to Doll's room in order to get her things, which basically meant her gun, her taser and her toothbrush. And as she did so the writer caught herself wondering why she was so lucky to get a person as amazing as Nicole to call girlfriend, and at the same time she wondered how stupid she was to not have noticed the real problem that was bothering Nicole. She liked to think she was a very perceptive person, that she could figure out everyone's tells and she could read most people easily, but with Nicole it seemed like she knew nothing and had to try and figure out things as they went, which most of the time was exciting but that could also be very frustrating and chaotic as that fight proved. Her girlfriend showed up a few minutes later and Waverly noticed how she seemed more relaxed even though her face looked a bit puffy and her eyes a tad red. She wanted to start yet another guilty trip for making the woman feel that way but she decided that it was for the best to just move on and make it up to her as they went, making sure Nicole never regretted Waverly. 

Although the proper apologies had been made, the mood was still awkward as they walked into their room at three in the morning. Maybe it was the fact that Waverly felt like she had to be perfect and make no mistakes in order to regain Nicole's love and trust or the fact that she felt like the fight hadn't been properly settled instead it had been bottled up and would eventually explode in their faces. Or maybe it was the fact that she kept watching attentively as Nicole fixed her own bed instead of joining her in theirs and pretending to be completely okay with the situation. But when they said their good nights and Waverly found herself sleeping alone in her own bed after so much time sleeping with her girlfriend she found out it was impossible to hold the few tears that escaped her eyes. 

She wasn't just tired, she was drained. She had started the day with Dolls walking by her side as they entered the French television studio where the charming and polite presenter tried very hard to not talk about her person life, asking only one question about the shocking photo and her alleged relationship with Doc. The tension inside that studio was palpable and she was certain that one wrong move would be enough to make all of them lose their fake control. Then the Champ situation happened, which Waverly could easily classify as a completely chaotic situation, throwing the shit in the fan and making every single person on her team fear for their lives. And adding to the already tiring day the crippling horror of possibly losing Nicole and the intensity of her panic attack, Waverly was simply drained. She tried to hold back the tears and to control herself but when she felt her girlfriend crawling into her bed and holding her tightly she cried herself dry, for the second time that night. 

"Waverly" Nicole whispered after what seemed like ages "Are you awake?"

"Yes" Waverly responded moving to face her girlfriend "Do you want to talk?" The familiarity of those words made her stomach twist and turn

"Yes, I do" She said in a shy tone while she used her thumb to wipe the remaining tears of Waverly's face

"You're still mad aren't you?" The writer asked unsure, feeling more insecure than she had been in a long time and honestly hoping that wasn't the case

"Not really" Nicole said and silence filled the room for long seconds before she spoke again "Wynonna told me something a few days ago"

"What?" Waverly asked suddenly more curious than apprehensive 

"That you're a good person, and that you feel too much and trust too easily" The redhead said and the writer immediately thought back to the conversation she wasn't supposed to know all about "I guess tonight was a proof of that"

"I suppose" she said unsure of how to proceed since she didn’t know where her girlfriend was going with that

"He's no good for you. Probably never was and never would be" Nicole talked slowly and her words carried so much honesty that the writer had to remind herself to breathe in and out "You're special Waverly. You're sweet and kind and smart" Nicole giggled happily" Your mind is so beautiful and you're so talented baby"

"Thank you?" The writer said feeling her cheek burn

"Don't" Nicole said seriously "And the funny thing is, I honestly do believe that despite all of that intelligence you have a hard time believing you actually are that special" she took a second before continuing "And he was no good for you because he took advantage of that"

"What do you mean?" The writer asked although she already knew the answer because that thought had crossed her mind more than a few times over the years

"He let you believe you couldn't get anyone better than him. He didn't deserve you" Nicole took the writer's hand in hers "I want you to know that you can trust me, with everything"

"I do trust you Nicole" Waverly started to hyperventilate, terrifies that her girlfriend thought she didn’t really care about their relationship "I didn't mean what I said earlier"

"I know, it's okay. Breathe" The redhead said and her voice sounded so calm that the writer forced herself to believe that the conversation was going somewhere nice "I want you to know that you can trust me. You can be whoever you want to be and you can chase all of your dreams and fantasies. You don't need to sell yourself short because I'll be here for all of it, the good and the bad"

"I..." Suddenly she didn't know how to make her brain work

"I want you Waverly" Nicole's eyes were filled with honesty and devotion "And I want all of you. The romantic Waverly who plans amazing dates in a matter of seconds and the shy Waverly who can barely hold her gaze" Nicole giggled "And I want the passionate Waverly who listens carefully whenever anyone is talking and hugs everyone. The one who cries when a fan thanks her for her work! And I want the Waverly Earp who's a worldwide famous writer"

"What are you saying?" Waverly felt her heart skip a few beats

"I know you want to protect me from the downside of your fame and all of that, but I want you and I don't want to have to hide it" Nicole smiled brightly "I want to introduce you to my sister and my niece, and I want to get to know all of your friends and loved ones"

"I'd love to get know your niece" Waverly giggled "I bet she's like a mini you"

"You'll bet she is" Nicole giggled back

"Okay then" Waverly smiled and for the first time that day she actually felt at ease "If you're okay with it, nothing would make me happier than that"

"That sounds good to me" Nicole said before pulling her in for a kiss

Waverly smiled. She was right where she was supposed to be, wrapped in Nicole's arms, feeling her slow breathing hitting her face and feeling their bodies together. Everything about that was good and pure and golden and she was sure she could live in that moment forever, needing nothing else in her life. She noticed how Nicole's breathing became even very quickly and how her body relaxed and she assumed the woman was finally asleep. Waverly picked up her phone from the nightstand and typed a quick text to Gus informing her that she would be skipping all of her appointments for the following day because she wanted to enjoy some peace after the events from that night, and that her manager should inform everyone that she wasn't feeling well and wouldn't be able to attend those interviews, but that she would be more than pleased if they could do it another time. Before she could turn the phone off she sent another text to the manager informing her that Nicole would return to her previous assignments and if anyone had a problem with their working and personal relationship should speak directly to her. 

/

The night was cold, colder than it had ever been before. In normal circumstances it should be snowing, she thought to herself, but it wasn’t the case, everything about that place was wrong and unusual, and the fact that it wasn’t snowing in mid-winter despite of the intense cold was the smallest of her problems. Willa knew she should’ve stayed home and listened to her father’s apology and maybe even give him a chance to help her with the curse and with her impossible task, but she couldn’t bring herself to look into her father’s eye anymore, not after finding out what he had done. He had traded her life for his, in a blink of an eye. He was willing to sell her to a cruel man such as Bobo and risk him doing whatever he wanted with his teenage daughter in order to secure his own life. Of course he tried to justify it by saying it was the only way their family could prosper, and it was a sacrifice both of them should’ve been okay with in order to break the curse, they needed to join the dark side in order to survive since trying to fight it wasn’t doing them any good.

Willa really wanted to forgive him. Especially after finding out that she would have to identify and kill every single revenant in their little town, alone, in order to save herself, her family and purgatory from an unknown big bad who was destined to bring hell on earth. It was a cursed passes from generation to generation ever since her great great great grandfather killed the super villain and all his sympathizers, a curse the girl didn’t want any part of. But there she was, standing alone in the middle of some creepy looking forest, shivering cold, waiting for the revenant to show his face so she could shot him and move on to the next name on her list. The gun weighted more than it used to, or so she thought. That bloody gun, which she thought was pretty cool inheritance, now carried the weight of her world and the weight of the future of Purgatory and every living soul in there.

She could feel the tears escaping her eyes. At first just a few drops that she could easily brush off, that didn’t clouded her vision and that didn’t make her entire body tremble. But she was just a mere young adult, trying desperately to readjust to a normal society after years in Bobo’s captivity while having to keep a straight face, a smile even, so that everyone would think she was okay. She was trying, but it seemed like the more she tried, the more she failed. She was a mess. A mess of a woman, a mess of a daughter, a mess of a friend, a mess of a hero. Tears started to escape like a flood, stopping her train of thoughts, making it impossible for her to see and to move and to do anything other than feel completely small and useless. Willa heard steps coming in her direction, fast, and for a second there she wondered how bad it would be is she just allowed the revenant to kill here right there, at least she wouldn’t have to worry any longer.

/

“Nicole?” Waverly shouted “Babe?” She heard a loud noise coming from the living room and rushed to the place where she found her girlfriend cursing under the table “Are you okay?”

“Yes” Nicole said “I just hit my head while I was trying to get up”

“Okay” The writer looked completely confused and amused by the uncommon situation “And what were you doing under the table exactly?”

“Un” Nicole immediately blushed and it was clear she was trying to think of an excuse “I…” the woman’s distress was pretty amusing but something in the corner of the writer’s eye caught her attention

“Were you reading my book?” Waverly smiled brightly, suddenly feeling every inch of her body being overcome with love and adoration for the blushing woman in front of her

“I got a copy a few days ago” Nicole said embarrassed “I wanted to read your story and understand what the fuss is all about” she blushed even harder when Waverly sat by her side under the table “I mean, I knew you were talented but I wanted to know, you know?”

“I know” the writer couldn’t form a sentence with more than a few words, still unable to make her brain work

“So I’ve been reading it” Nicole was blabbing nervously which made Waverly even more drawn to her “I didn’t want you to see me reading because I wanted to surprise you, since you think I haven’t read the book” all of her words were coming out at once “I mean, now you now I’m reading it, but I wanted to surprise you because I’m your girlfriend and I wanted to be a very supportive one” She looked at Waverly hoping to read her emotions but she was unable to do so “And maybe I could help you the next time you asked for my opinion or my help because now I know…”

“Stop talking” Waverly finally managed to say and she couldn’t hold laughter when her girlfriend did close her mouth “Thank you”

“What for?” Nicole said still blushing

“For being you, and being so supportive and being a great girlfriend” The writer kissed Nicole passionately before she continued “You know you didn’t have to buy a copy right? I could just give you one”

“Yeah, but if you give books to everyone for free how would you pay my salary” Nicole joked

“That’s a valid point” Waverly laughed back “What are you thinking so far?”

“Well Ward is a dick, Bobo is very crazy, Henry is a very weird sidekick and Willa needs a hug and a therapist” She giggled before continuing “But I’m pretty sure she can make a decent hero, I mean, if she doesn’t get herself killed first” Nicole reached for the book before adjusting her position under the table to a more confortable one “Now go away and let me go back to my reading”

“Oh wow, you sure do know to treat a lady don’t you?” Waverly giggled faking an offended tone

“We aim to please ma’am” Nicole said already returning her attention to the book.

Waverly started to walk back to her room but stopped to take another look at her girlfriend. Nicole was lying under the table, a pillow under her head and the book in her hands, looking completely focused on the words she was reading. Although the writer could probably recite every letter on that book by heart she wondered how they would sound like in Nicole’s voice. Watching her girlfriend so drawn to the book in her hand suddenly made herself conscious, because she wanted to impress the woman, she wanted her to be amazed, and in that moment none of her previous awards and positive feedbacks meant anything, she was an amateur writer waiting for a publisher to judge her story. But the more she watched her girlfriend, the more certain she was that even if the book sucked Nicole would talk excitedly about it for days to come, just so she could make Waverly smile.

Waverly felt shivers down her spine. Nicole was brilliant, talented, strong, beautiful, funny, sweet and kind, and she was her girlfriend. She was taking time of her day to find out more about Waverly’s interest, to adjust herself to the writer’s world, she wasn’t reading the book because everyone else did that, but because she wanted Waverly to know how much she validated and respected her. A simple thing, something that maybe Nicole didn’t even intend to do, but that was more than enough to make Waverly certain. The air got sucked out of her lungs when she realized wasn’t falling in love with the woman anymore. She loved Nicole.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So they're happy now! Yay! I'm glad you guys are liking the story so far, I plan on writing 16 chapters so that means we're more than halfway through the end, still there's a lot stuff to come! Thank you for your feedbacks and your opinions, keep them coming!

10.

Things had gotten better after the whole Champ mess and everything that came with it. The morning after the fight, Waverly told her whole team, from the Black Badge team to her manager and her publishers that she had no intention of hiding her relationship and that no attempts should be made on her behalf at covering it up, and every single reaction was predictable. Dolls and Gus just nodded and moved on to their own business while the publishers seemed a bit worried at how the public would take the relationship, which annoyed Waverly more than she cared to admit, but the writer kept her professional facade and told them that although it was not a debatable subject, she would continue to value and care for her privacy, which seemed to calm them down. Not that she cared much about it, if they hadn't accepted her new orders she'd simply put them against the wall and tell them they could either suck it up or she’d find a new company to publish her books, a strategic move possible only because of her popular status. After that, everyone seemed incredibly more relaxed, as if they had been walking on eggshells for a long time, Gus immediately gave Nicole back her position as the first bodyguard while Dolls went back to his planner mode, which the man seemed more than happy to return to. Wynonna accompanied them for a few more days before she packed her stuff and went back home the same way she appeared in Amsterdam, without much fuss.

What Waverly was most thankful for was seeing Nicole happy again. The woman was smiling at all times, whether it was five in the morning on a rainy day in Spain when they had to deal with an expressive amount of paparazzi and fans, or it was at two in the morning in a hot hotel room somewhere in Europe, as Waverly came crashing under her touch. Her joy was so obvious that once the writer even caught her girlfriend singing in the shower along to a Taylor Swift hit. Nicole was happy, and happy Nicole was more beautiful than any other version of the woman, and Waverly loved her, completely and absolutely. After she figured that out for the first time on that Parisian hotel room, those three words were a constant presence in her heart and on her mind, threatening to escape her lips at any time, but Waverly fought the urge to scream it at the top of her lungs just because she wanted to make sure that it wasn't too soon and that everything in their relationship was perfect before she spoke that short sentence. Luckily, as time passed, she was surer and surer that they had moved on from the fight and were stronger than ever.

Nicole wasn't the only happy one. Waverly felt like touching the sky. Whenever Nicole smiled, the writer would smile too, and she'd smile whenever she caught a glimpse at the woman, or when she woke up earlier and got to look at her peacefully sleeping by her side, or when she'd sip on a warm cup of coffee. She was happy and she was in love. They were sitting in silence, sipping on a cup of coffee, as they waited for the writer's name to get called in on the talk show stage, when Nicole talked.

"Okay, so let me get this straight" Nicole said making the writer laugh at her half confused half determined face "I'm supposed to like Henry, hate Ward, Constance and Bobo and get mixed up feelings about Willa?"

"We've been through this before babe" Waverly laughed since it was the fifth time that day her girlfriend had brought up the topic "You feel what you gotta feel. Who am I to tell you what to do?"

"No Wave, I'm being serious" Nicole rolled her eyes, annoyed at her girlfriend's behaviour "You're the writer, I wanna know what you're thinking" She had finished both books three days earlier and was struggling to keep her fan girl in check

"Fine, fine" Waverly took a moment to recompose herself "They're all very messy characters, as you may have noticed"

"That may be an understatement" Nicole pointed out and Waverly had to laugh at how intense her girlfriend sounded when she talked about the story

"True" The writer said trying to mimic her girlfriend's tone "But they're all trying to achieve something. Henry for instance, he is really trying to save the day and do what's right"  
"Yes, except when it goes against his self-interest" Nicole said animatedly "It's Henry first and everything else later"

"Yes, but he got better and now he's really trying" Waverly defended her character "Anyways, Willa is the most complex character because she has so many layers and everything is so connected and complex" It was rare those occasions in which she could talk so openly about her story, but with Nicole she felt understood and validated and she knew the woman actually cared about her answers "Like, her friendship with the witch that cursed her family and her relationship with Bobo"

"A hero with a tendency to ally with the bad guys" Nicole teased

"Okay, I can't say too much or I'll give you spoilers from the final book" Waverly tried to figure out the best way to answer her girlfriend's questions but found none that wouldn't get her fired "But yes, sort of"

"C'mon! This isn't fair" Nicole pouted and the writer had to remind herself to keep it cool "But fine, what about Ward?"

"Well he's at best a terrible and selfish father" Waverly said calmly

"And at worst?" Nicole asked curiously

"As much of a villain as the other two" Waverly teased knowing it would get the bodyguard worked up "Let's just leave it at that at the moment"

"What's the point of dating a writer if you can't get an inside look at her work before everyone else?" Nicole huffed annoyed causing Waverly to laugh loudly

"I knew you were in it for the inside scoop" The writer laughed "And here I thought it was for the cute face and hot body"

"Those are welcome additions but you know getting close to you was my plan all along, after all I'm simply trying to sell the privileged information" Nicole teased back

"You're an idiot, Nicole" Waverly felt those three words trying to escape her lips, so she desperately tried to change the subject "What are we doing tonight?"

"I don't know. This is your last night in town, any suggestions?" Nicole asked

"I was thinking, maybe we can order in pizza and watch a movie in bed?" Waverly pitched the idea to her girlfriend who smiled brightly at the idea

"Yes please! All I want is to change into comfy clothes and eat junk food" Nicole said in a mix of excitement and laziness

"This tour is draining me" Waverly confessed "I'm exhausted"

"I know baby" Nicole said sweetly but it came out sexier than expected and Waverly's breath got caught in her throat "So movie it is"

The bodyguard had finished reading the book three days earlier at 2:15 in the morning and Waverly knew it because she was woken up by one very excited and pissed off Nicole. The second book ended with a cliffhanger, Willa pulling the gun on either Henry or Ward and her girlfriend was desperate to know what was going to happen. They talked about the book whenever they could, Waverly trying her best to answer every little question Nicole presented her, from simple ones like why she started writing that story or who was her favourite character, to more complexe ones that involved understanding the physiology of every character and their actions, to questions about the third and last book. And those talks warmed Waverly's heart more than she would dare to say, mostly because before asking any questions, Nicole would ask her if it was okay to do so, or if she was too tired from that inquire, knowing full well that the writer probably had answered those same questions many, many times before. Which was true, she had answered most of those questions an infinite number of times to interviewers, fans, publishers, but none of them made her feel so much in her element as Nicole did.

Things worked like this, Wynonna was the first person to read the book, her beta reader of sorts, she'd sit in her room until she had finished it and then she would come out with honest compliments, notes and suggestions, which the writer was thankful for because it made her work better, but she didn’t really care about it. Then her publishers would read it and would return with questions, prohibitions and suggestion, which Waverly hated because took away part of her writing liberty. Lastly Gus would read it, but she hardly ever said anything about them because she did it to make her work easier, so she could better prepare herself to handle Waverly’s career. The public had honest reactions as well, they truly cared about the book, the story and the characters, but most of the time they didn't really care about Waverly's thoughts on it because they had their own and that was enough, and interviewers cared more about creating and feeding gossip about the writer than anything else. But Nicole was different. She wanted to know every little thing about it, how every story seemed to be tangled with each other throughout the whole trilogy, how Waverly had created that universe and what she thought about it. The woman did have fan questions and theories of her own, but she was the one who truly cared for Waverly's input.

/

Waverly huffed frustrated, the whole interview had been a mess, they had a technical problem with the translator and neither the interviewer knew how to speak English nor the writer knew Portuguese, so they sat there in awkward silence for a few minutes, on a live broadcast, as the IT team worked on the problem. It was underrated to say the writer was thankful to be in the car with Nicole, listening to cheesy pop songs while the bodyguard drove her back to the hotel. Waverly noticed how her girlfriend took the longest way back and she wondered if the woman had done it on purpose because she knew that scenario was calming the writer's nerves, she smiled knowing full well that it was probably the case. As soon as Nicole parked the car at the garage, Gus started talking about their schedules for the following day, apparently they would leave Europe and go back home as soon as the writer was done with her only interview left, which would happen in the morning. They all smiled when the manager stopped talking and it was as clear as day that every single person in that car couldn't wait to finish the tour and get back home. They took the lift together and said their farewells on the corridor before turning in for the night, in their respective rooms.

Waverly decided to take a quick shower to wash off the stress before their dinner and, while the water hit her skin, she heard Nicole calling a pizza place and placing her order for two pizzas, soda and desert. She came out of the shower feeling refreshed and renewed and found her girlfriend in bed already changed into her pjs going through Netflix trying to find a good film for their date. Although the writer liked to cuddle up with Nicole and feel the woman tightening her hold on her when they watched horror movies, they had decided earlier that day that they would stick to the good old romantic comedy or romantic drama, so it wasn't a surprise when If I Stay started playing on TV. Waverly loved that book and its sequel, and it came as a great shock to her that she hasn't watched the film yet, so she found a nice and comfortable position with her limbs tangled up with Nicole's and let herself get carried away into the story and the soundtrack.

Waverly felt Nicole twist and turn restlessly in bed and she was about to ask the woman to stay quiet when Nicole kissed her passionately. The writer could hear the cello playing in the background but with her girlfriend's tongue asking for permission the film was quickly forgotten. The kiss got heated really fast with Nicole adjusting herself in the middle of Waverly's legs, her knee pressing down on her center. Things escalated quickly when Nicole ripped her girlfriend's shirt off, throwing the destroyed clothe into a distant corner in the room. They broke off the kiss for a few seconds in order to catch their breaths and Waverly was certain that she had never seen such intensity in the redhead's eyes, such desire and ferocity. And she absolutely loved the sight. She had no shirt on and she noticed how Nicole was undressing her, tasting and teasing her with nothing but her eyes. She swallowed hard knowing that would be an unprecedented event. Nicole got a hold of Waverly's hands and held them tightly, keeping her girlfriend slightly restrained. Nicole breathed out, letting the air tinkle Waverly's body and the writer felt a wave of excitement spreading through her body, she expectantly waited for her girlfriend to stop teasing, to stop holding her lips mere millimeters away from her body, to stop looking at her with those dark eyes. She was barely hanging on, her mind creating scenarios after scenarios, wondering what her girlfriend would do next.

Waverly tried to move but Nicole held her hand steady and the writer had to pour and beg before the bodyguard finally gave in and kissed her again. This time the redhead didn't stop kissing when the writer pulled away to breathe, she started kissing down her neck, biting down and leaving wet kissed to soothe the area. Her skillful hands working side to side with her lips, taking all of her clothes off before letting her mouth explore. Nicole was pressing Waverly down, keeping her in place, and it was sweet torture, being unable to move, having to wait for her girlfriend to make every single move. It was impossible to keep her chill when every nerve in her body was on edge, and it was even more impossible to control herself when she felt Nicole's tongue toying with her center. Her dexterous lips working their magic and driving the writer dangerously close to the edge. She heard her name being called but she couldn't open her eyes because her senses were on overload. She felt fingers and lips working in unison to take her closer and closer to the edge. The writer felt her whole body start to tremble and the wave building up inside of her, but before she could let herself go everything stopped.

"Waverly?" Nicole shook her slightly "Wake up babe, pizza is here"

"What?" Waverly said clearly confused, unable to understand why she was fully dressed and how she had gotten there

"You fell asleep like five minutes in the movie" Nicole giggled "You looked so relaxed and pleased that I didn't want to wake you"

"I was asleep?" The writer said shocked

"Yes" Nicole laughed at the writer's distress "And clearly that was one intense nap since you don’t even know what’s going on anymore. Good thing I didn't wake you"

"Oh boy" Waverly blushed realizing she had a wet dream "How long was I out?"

"Twenty minutes" Nicole said nonchalantly before noticing the pinkness on her girlfriend's cheek "Why are you blushing?"

"I'm not" Waverly tried to deny the act but ended up blushing even harder

"It's like I caught you doing something naughty, something you shouldn't" Nicole joked not knowing how right she was

"I just..." The writer tried to explain "It was a great nap"

"Thankfully tomorrow is your last day on tour, I don't think you can go on much longer" Nicole said calmly "You'd probably fall asleep in the middle of an interview if you had to go another month or so"

"Probably" Waverly giggled "That would be one hell of a headline"

"It would make Wynonna jealous" Nicole joined the joke

"She'd probably go to a swing club or something in order to regain her title" The writer joked "But seriously, I'm sorry I fell asleep, you should've woken me up"

"You look cute when you sleep" Nicole brushed it off like no biggie "But now you owe me a new date"

"Okay, I think that can be arranged" Waverly smiled "But the pizza is here, let's eat because I'm starving and then we can start the film again and I promise not to sleep" she walked towards the living room and opened the pizza box "You got Hawaiian? Why do you like pineapple on the pizza?"

"I got you pepperoni, don't worry" Nicole rolled her eyes "And I'll have you know that it tastes like heaven"

"Whatever you say Nicole, whatever you say"

They ate in silence in the living room, Nicole moaning loudly whenever she took a bite of her pizza causing Waverly to think back on her dream when than sound was an indicative of something completely different. That was new for her, having a wet dream, especially one so intense and realistic like that one, and it made her realize that she wanted Nicole more than she knew. They finished two whole pizzas and one bowl of ice cream before they returned to bed and rewatched the film, although to be completely honest the writer was paying more attention to her girlfriend than to what was going on with Mia and Adam. This time, it was Nicole who fell asleep before the movie ended, so Waverly turned off the TV and let herself fall asleep to the peaceful sound of her girlfriend's breathing.

/

Her alarm rang at 6:45 am sharp. Her interview would happen at 10 that morning, and to make sure she wasn't late she was supposed to be at the hotel lobby at 8:30, or so Dolls and Gus told her. She could wake up a little later, but she knew that it would take her at least fifteen minutes to gather enough will to stop ignoring the annoying sound of her alarm clock and leave the bed and another fifteen to convince Nicole to do the same. It didn't really matter the fact that it was her last day on the promotional tour and that, after that, she'd have more free time to spend it with her girlfriend, maybe it made it all even worse because she really wanted to stay in bed and Waverly just couldn't bring herself to resist the temptation of skipping her appointments and spending all day with Nicole, in bed, in their pjs, enjoying the warmth of each other's bodies and the comfort of each other's presence. They could order room service, cuddle and watch something on Netflix, like they tried to do the night before, or they could skip all of that and just take advantage of their privacy and make the writer's wet dream a reality. That idea interested Waverly deeply, especially because she had a lot of bottled up sexual tension and desire, results of the previous night. She was so interested in the prospect of having her girlfriend on top of her that she actually allowed herself to be reckless and consider, at least for one second, what would be the repercussions should she miss her interview, but before she could actually start to work on a plan, her alarm was beeping again waking up Nicole.

"Shut uppppp" Nicole mumbled in her still sleepy state, looking like a little child or a tiny puppy

"You know I haven't said anything right"?" Waverly laughed as her girlfriend put a pillow over her head

"Not you babe" she said while trying to work an angle in which the pillow would successfully block the alarm "This horrendous sound. Turn it off"

"It's 8 am" The writer stated simply knowing full well how her girlfriend would react

"No way!" Nicole threw the pillow away "You're joking" She tested the water and when Waverly didn't respond she continued "Damn it, babe, we're going to be late! Both Gus and Dolls are going to kill me! Oh my god! Why did you let me sleep in?"

"Relax" Waverly laughed loudly at her girlfriend's distress

"You were joking" Nicole immediately relaxed before she pushed Waverly slightly to show her annoyance

"I was joking. It's 6:50" Waverly laughed louder when Nicole pouted in protest "I think I hit the wrong button and it didn't turn off. I'm sorry"

"You're lucky you're cute" Nicole said laying back down and returning to her comfortable position under the sheets after stealing Waverly's pillow since hers was somewhere in the room

"Or else?" The writer teased

"Or else you'd be in deep trouble, my lady" Nicole teased back "How long do we have before we need to start getting ready?"

"About thirty more minutes" Waverly smiled when her girlfriend started to play with her hair

"God it's too early, it's too cold outside and you're way too beautiful for me to want to get up from this bed" the bodyguard said and Waverly noticed how she pulled her impossibly closer

"Well this is my last day of tour" The writer said "After today you can wake up as late as you want" she took a deep breath before continuing "And you can continue to sleep in my bed whenever and as often you like"

"Okay" Nicole said and a few minutes passed before she continued "We're going to spend a lot of time in your bed then"

"I wouldn't take you for a sleeping beauty kind of girl, Miss Haught" Waverly said innocently

"Who said anything about sleeping?" Nicole teased before closing her eyes decided to sleep another thirty minutes

Waverley thought back to four months earlier, when Gus and the publishing team were explaining to her how the promotional tour would go. The tour was supposed to be pretty simple, meet the fans, meet the media, do some interviews, attend some events, talk about the book and the movie and make everyone even more excited for what was to come. She remembered going back home that day and lying in bed, exhausted from simply listening and imagining how awful the tour would be and then she had to deal with Wynonna insisting she got a protective detail. She felt crushed under the weight of her responsibilities, she felt small and not in control at all, so she got on her car and drove for hours before stopping at and B&B by the side of the road where she checked in for three days. Waverly took advantage of the peace and quiet, of that sense of freedom and during that little cleansing trip, she did nothing other than stay in bed, eat junk food and write. She always felt in her element when she was alone, in a quiet room, writing her book, but she was slowly starting to believe that maybe being alone wasn't as nice and cool anymore, because she would very much prefer having Nicole with her wherever she was.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is just a whole lot of fluff and by now you guys probably figured out that i love writing cute wayhaught moments! I'd like to apologize in advance for any major mistakes, i did not have time to triple read it because it's been a crazy week, so yeah please forgive me. Great things are coming real soon and im excited, so keep your feedbacks coming so i know how you guys are feeling about the story!

11.

"The tour was a great success!" The woman said from the other side of the line

"I'm glad it was!" Waverly faked any kind of enthusiasm

"I can't wait for what's next, Miss Earp. I can't wait for the next book" She said

"It'll be here faster than you know it!" Waverly responded

"I'm looking forward to it. Bye" And with that the woman ended the call

Waverly had landed back in the States thirty minutes earlier and that was her fourth phone call already. Her publishers had been dying to speak to her in order to send endless praises about the press tour, about how Waverly was stunning and professional at all times and about the way they handled the fans, making them even more excited for the third book. But what they hid behind those fake words was the constant reminder that the writer had a three book contract and had to deliver the next one as soon as possible, and honestly there was so much fakeness a girl could put up with before she snapped.

She sat in silence through the whole drive back to her apartment. She was tired, annoyed, hungry and moody. And to top all that, Nicole wasn't in the car with her because the woman lived at the other side of town and they decided it was best if everyone just went home and rested for a while, especially because the bodyguard couldn't hide how homesick she was while Waverly, on the other side, didn't particularly look forward to getting home and seeing party girl Wynonna Earp, she wanted to sleep for three days straight and having her sister with her meant no peace and quiet at all. Gus was sitting by her side, typing animatedly on her computer, sending email after email to every single one of Waverly's bosses. The manager clearly loved her job, she loved being able to control and organize everything from Waverly's working schedules to her travels to her vacations even, and the woman took such good care of the writer that it was almost like a motherly relationship, one that, most of the time, Waverly was thankful for, but watching her on full working mode even after they finished the tour was driving the writer crazy.

To try and change her mood, Waverly decided to get some McDonald's along the way and to pick something up for Wynonna as well, just in case she was home. They stopped by the drive-through few blocks away from her house and the employer immediately recognized Waverly, causing the writer to blush furiously since that wasn't a fan-writer relationship but rather a frequent customer-cashier one. The man smiled politely, checked her order and made sure to express how much he missed his favorite customer before Waverly watched him waving goodbye. The rest of the drive took less than five minutes, Dolls parked the car on the parking lot and took all of Waverly's luggage to the elevator before he excused himself, something the writer was very thankful for because she had zero will to face a Wynonna and Xavier moment. She took the elevator up to the penthouse and it occurred to her that it was the first time in almost three months that she didn't have someone with her, neither Gus, nor Dolls and not even Nicole, and if she was being honest she didn't like the quietude as much as she thought she would.

Waverly opened the door to her apartment half expecting to find it a complete mess since she was the responsible and organized sister while Wynonna was simply not that person, but what she found made her wonder if she was in the right place. The lights were all out but the apartment was fully illuminated by the many, many candle lights carefully spread at every other step, the candles that also aromatized the place, making it smell like the woods. She could also smell the food in the kitchen, grilled fish or something like that, she wasn't sure. There was the loud sound of pop music playing somewhere inside the house and Waverly wasn't quite sure what to think about all of that. She was looking like crap at her doorstep, six suitcases behind her and three McDonald's bags in her hands and she had just walked in on one of the most romantic set ups she had ever laid eyes on. She was almost about to turn back out when Wynonna appeared in front of her with two glasses of wine in her hands and a very disgruntled look on her face.

"Oh, it's just you" She said making no attempts at hiding her discontent

"Wow, I'm glad to see you too" Waverly joked "Good thing you clearly remembered I was coming back tonight"

"Sure I did, this is all for you, Waverly" Wynonna's words were filled with sarcasm

"Dolls is not coming up" The writer said ignoring her sister's attitude "He's driving Gus and then he's going home"

"Good for him" Wynonna said nonchalantly

"That wasn't for him neither, was it?" Waverly said

"No" The older Earp put the glasses down and helped her sister with her luggage "I was waiting on Doc but I think I'm going to reschedule"

"Wow, okay" The writer couldn't hide her obvious shock at her sister's company "Two things. First, don't cancel on my account, I have a hot date with my bed and some french fries. And secondly, Doc really? What happened to Dolls?"

"Well, after I ditched him on Paris for obvious reasons, I had to make it up to him so we went out a couple of times" She said and Waverly noticed how she played with the hem of her shirt as she spoke "And Dolls is cool and a great kisser..."

"Too much information!" Waverly shouted before her sister could describe the man any further

"Whatever, but yeah he's nice and all but I think I like Doc better. Plus, we're like one and the same" Wynonna said "We both want someone to party with and to start adventures together, so that's it"

"Okay, as long as you're happy I'm all for it" Waverly smiled knowing full well that was her sister's version of a cute moment

"Where's your better half anyways?" Wynonna asked, clearly attempting to change the subject

"She went home to her family already, she missed them and wanted to give her niece an autographed version of Purgatory, that I signed for her" Waverly didn't even noticed how bright she was smiling "I'm dying to meet the girl, apparently she's like a mini version of Nicole"

"Dude, you're so in love" Wynonna teased "It's almost gross"

"I am. I really am" Waverly smiled even more "I was thinking about taking her to meet Shorty this Saturday"

"I think that would be a very cool idea, Shorty will love her" Wynonna thought for a second before she continued "I think I might even ask Doc to meet us there and we can turn this into a family event"

"That sounds like a plan to me" It didn't pass unnoticed to Waverly how excited her sister sounded at the prospect of having a family lunch with Nicole and Doc

"Amazing" Wynonna smiled "Now let's see if those McDonald's french fries go well with my home made grilled salmon"

"Probably not" Waverly giggled

"Most likely not" Wynonna laughed

The two sisters tried the exotic combination before judging it uneatable and deciding that Wynonna's home-made romantic dinner tasted a lot better than preprocessed food. They sat together eating and drinking wine while the writer told stories about her life on the road and Wynonna talked about her new adventures at the entertainment industry as a film photographer. They talked for hours on and Waverly caught herself wondering when it had been the last time they had done something like that, the last time they both felt that happy, that complete and that free. She felt her eyelids getting heavier and heavier by the second but she resisted the urge to climb into bed, choosing to enjoy the moment with her sister and giving up only when she could no longer make out Wynonna's words.

/

On Saturday morning Waverly woke up to the surprising smell of fresh fried bacon and she was very shocked to learn that she wasn't alone at her house, her sister had decided to spend the night at Doc's place after he took her to the premiere of his new film but apparently they had an early morning, or so she thought. The writer decided to stay in bed for a little longer in order to get the lovely couple more time alone, after all she actually liked Doc and thought he was a great addition to her sister's life. He too was a bit of party fella and had been in the middle of his fair share of scandals, especially regarding alcohol and poker games, but he was a nice person at his core and tried to do as much good as possible. Waverly met him when he auditioned for the movie adaptation of Purgatory, she had heard a lot about him, from the media she heard he was a bad boy and, from the Hollywood crew, she heard he had a golden heart, luckily he proved to be a little bit of both. She giggled to herself because of the unusual situation, party girl Wynonna had a boyfriend and Waverly was the one vouching for the guy instead of the other way around. The writer picked up her computer and started writing a new part of the book when her door was opened by a tall redhead carrying a bed tray filled with food.

"What are you doing up?" Nicole asked visibly surprised

"I woke up early" Waverly smiled at the unexpected yet delightful surprise "I suppose I'm excited about today"

"Me too, I cannot wait to get to know everyone" She said excitedly as she put the tray on the bed and crawled under the blankets

"You know it's going to be just the two of us, Wynonna, Doc and Shorty, right?" The writer giggled at her girlfriend's excited behavior

"Not the whole gang?" Nicole asked a bit disappointed

"I'm impressed you think I actually do have a gang" She laughed loudly at her own joke "But I'm not that popular" She took a few seconds to recompose herself "But you're really going to like them"

"I think they're supposed to like me and not the other way around" Nicole smiled "But I'm sure it'll be nice"

"It will" Waverly said happily before turning her attention to the food in front of her "What's all this?"

"I missed you and I thought I'd stop by and feed you" She said with a giggle

"Gives me food and is romantic, wow, I think I might just marry you Haught" Waverly said happily before realizing what she had just spoken and hurrying to change the subject "How did you get in anyways?"

"You gave me a key babe, remember?" Nicole said simply and Waverly noticed how her eyes stared her down with such intensity

"Oh yes, right" she swallowed hard knowing full well that the woman had caught on to her previous statement "I gave it to you so you come and go as you please but it never crossed my mind you'd be cooking for me" She joked to lighten up the mood

"We aim to please" Nicole laughed "Now let's try these things before they get too cold"

Although both of them brushed it off like no big deal, Waverly noticed how Nicole's eyes would linger for another second before she looked away and how the air was carried with unspoken words of love, desire and commitment. But despite the intense situation they ate the whole thing together while talking animatedly about anything and everything all at once. Nicole talked about her niece and how she had loved the signed books, in fact she had asked all of her friends to accompany her home after school so she could show it to them and the writer promptly asked to meet her as soon as possible. Waverly told Nicole about the way her publishers were annoying her in order to get the third book and how it actually make her want to stop writing and just travel the world without one single care and her girlfriend teased her about her stubbornness. When they were almost done with the food Nicole gathered enough courage to tell Waverly that Champ's hearing date had been scheduled for the following month and that he would most likely get a two or three years sentence. The writer wasn't quite sure how to feel about that but she knew it was the right thing and was probably for the best.

After the homemade breakfast, they decided to just stay in bed together for a little longer, Waverly picked up her computer from where it rested on the floor and started her second attempt at writing the book while Nicole watched a soccer match on TV. They stood like that for what felt like an eternity, legs intertwined, Nicole mindlessly drawing circles on Waverly's thigh and the writer feeling more focused than ever. It was their little bubble of joy and their particular island of happiness, it was a clear example of how those tiny things indicated how much they belonged together, how well they fit in with each other and how easily they adjusted their lives to the relationship. Waverly and Nicole were immerse on their own private thoughts when Wynonna opened the door in a swift move

"Hey losers" She said excitedly to make her presence known

"Good morning to you too Wynonna" Waverly smiled "You're in an unusual good mood"

"Well sis, we're having lunch at Shorty's today and that means super amazing food and free drinks!" Wynonna said even more excitedly

"You know this is supposed to be a family event right?" Waverly teased

"I know, that's why you're taking Haught stuff and I'm taking Doc" She ignored her sister's words "He's already here by the way, he wanted see familiar faces before we went"

"And where's he?" Nicole turned her attention away from the TV and asked

"In the living room, I wanted to see if you guys were decent before he came in" Wynonna said nonchalantly

"We're decent Wynonna. I'm working and Nicole is watching TV" Waverly looked at her in complete disbelief "Plus, we should be getting ready soon, it's not like this is the appropriate time"

"Joke's on you because it's always the appropriate time and place for that matter" Wynonna said before disappearing back inside the apartment

"I can't believe there're two of them now" Waverly saved her work before turning off her computer and getting up from bed

"What do you mean?" Nicole asked lazily, pouting when her girlfriend tossed the blanket away

"Doc and Wynonna are like the same person" She said

"Ooooooh. Yeah, two of them babe" Nicole laughed "and apparently very energized and excited versions of them"

"Oh boy" Waverly giggled

They left the bedroom and found Doc patiently sitting in living room, his distinct mustache and hipsters Midwestern clothing style catching they’re eyes immediately. He was his charming self talked for long minutes, keeping the conversation alive regardless of the topic, he could talk from his clothes to his job to soccer and the weather and Waverly was very thankful for it because as time passed she begun to feel more and more nervous because of their lunch. She considered Shorty her fatherly image and he always vouched for her boyfriends, he even did so to Champ, although he made sure to emphasize his belief that the writer deserved more, but now she was taking her girlfriend to the cafe and introduce her to him in hopes the man would approve. Waverly knew Nicole was special, she knew it from day one and the thought never left her mind, the woman had effortlessly gained Wynonna’s respect and somehow they were like best buds, and although the writer knew that even if they all disliked and disapproved of her she would still be in love with the redhead she still hoped all of her loved ones got to see how special Nicole was.

Wynonna and Doc left to her room to “get ready” for lunch but Waverly was one hundred percent sure they would get their freak on before anything and that it would probably make them all late for lunch but she didn’t really have time to care about it because Nicole laced their fingers together and pulled her in for a passionate kiss. She felt lightheaded when the bodyguard broke off the kiss to breathe and she couldn’t quite believe when the woman guided them into the bathroom so they could shower together. They finished getting ready and it was later than initially planned and when they came out of the bedroom in between giggles and loud laughs they found Wynonna and Doc, already dressed and ready to go, smirking at them, after all if someone was to blame for their delay it was the writer and the bodyguard. Waverly started the car engine before turning the radio on and driving towards the place she very frequently called home, her sister and boyfriend were at the backseat, immersed on their own private little world to care for anything else, while Nicole sat at the passenger seat and had one hand resting on the writer’s thigh. Shorty’s looked the same as the last time she had been there, except for the fact that it had “closed” written on the door despite the fact that it was a Saturday and that ordinarily meant a very busy day, Waverly parked the car in front of the place and started talking

“Okay” She said in a mix of anxiety, happiness and fear “This is the place”

“It looks really great” Nicole said happily

“Quirky and fancy” Doc said already opening the door “I love it”

“You’re going to like Shorty, he’s like a former athlete with a great heart who’s a heavy drinker” Wynonna joked “The whole package” she said and Waverly almost didn’t catch it because the couple was already out the car and on their way inside the shop

“A former athlete?” Nicole asked interested

“Yes, he used to play Hockey” Waverly said “He was really good”

“Wow that’s very cool, I can’t wait to get to know him then” Nicole said excitedly “Shall we?” She opened the door but waited for Waverly to follow, which didn’t happen

“Yes, okay!” Waverly allowed her mood to be contaminated by her girlfriend’s but it only lasted about five seconds before she found herself freaking out again “But like, you don’t need to freak out when you meet him just because you’re meeting my family and all of that you know it right?”

“I’m not the one freaking out Waverly” Nicole laughed “Do you want to talk about why you’re hyperventilating?”

“This is just different” She confessed “And the last person I introduced to him is like in jail now”

“That’s good for me then” Nicole laughed

“How’s that any good?” Waverly said shocked at the woman’s words

“Well, he set the bar so low that all I have to do now is to just be normal” She giggled “Not crazy, you know, the usual”

“Only you could make this kind of joke” Waverly finally relaxed a bit “I love you but you should refrain from making this kind of joke near my sister or she’ll punch you in the face” Waverly said without much fuss

“What?” Nicole said shocked

“Well she expects my girlfriend to be simply perfect” She giggled not realizing she had just admitted to being in love with Nicole for the first time like it was no big deal “We should go inside”

“Un, yes, sure” Nicole decided to not bring up the confession, hopping that the writer would say it again sometime soon

They entered the coffee house and heard the man’s voice coming from the kitchen where he informed them he’d be right out because he was finishing lunch. The four of them found their sits around the table and started talking animatedly while they waited, Doc and Nicole were really impressed by the place and how classic it looked, like it had been built with a Midwestern inspiration or country chic as Doc pointed out a few times through the conversation. Shorty showed up a few minutes later carrying a tray full of drinks, that got Wynonna very happy, and paraded his distinct smile and good mood, being incredibly sweet to Waverly who was visibly anxious about lunch. The man was so happy to be around his loved one that at one point during lunch he pulled Waverly by the hand and sat by the piano, forcing the woman to sing while he played, she might’ve blushed the whole time but as the other guests joined them she started to relax and just have fun.

They spent the whole time talking about her tour and how proud they were of her, she told him about Champ and she could’ve sworn the man was ready to kill the boy, but after she told him Nicole had protected all of them and called the authorities the man calmed down a bit. Wynonna also talked about her new job and how it just felt right to be photographing again, that she had decided to give it another chance because she was too talented to let the family curse get in her way and Waverly noticed how every single person in that room was overcome with pride for the woman. And Shorty talked about the small renovation he had to do at the café after Waverly’s fans pulled that stunt almost three months earlier, but he giggled saying it was for the best because he finally had to stop putting that off. They finished lunch more quickly than the Waverly would’ve liked and soon enough everyone had scattered around the cafe.

They were all doing their thing, Wynonna and Doc were in a corner by the end of the café laughing at something they had read online, Shorty was playing the piano while he sipped on his beer and Nicole was moaning while she drank her coffee. She needed to catch her breath because suddenly she felt a wave of happiness, Waverly looked around and saw faces she loved and cherished, she saw her family, the people who loved her and accepted her for what she was, flaws and all, people that would always root for her and desperately try to keep her from harm’s way. That was her family, and she damn right could get used to days like that.

"Okay, now I get it why you're so crazy about coffee" Nicole said forcing the writer out of her internal monologue

"You're like the only person who stays sober when meeting their girlfriend's family" Waverly joked

"That's probably not true, and I’m driving all of you home" Nicole laughed at her mildly drunk girlfriend "But it's good to know that I'll have to buy some wine when I take you to my sister's house"

"Of course you do. I'm an Earp" The writer said eliciting an approving thumbs up from her sister, who apparently was paying a lot of attention to their conversation from across the room "But yes, the coffee here is really great"

"Probably one of the best I've ever had" Nicole said without realizing the owner of said establishment was standing behind her

"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself Nicole" He said sweetly "You need to try my special cappuccino"

"Yes babe!" Waverly said excitedly "You gotta!"

"You should hire this one for promotional purposes" Nicole joked

"I worked here when I was younger, it was kind of my special place. It is my special place" Waverly said seriously before she returned to her giggly self "I have like three shirts that say Shorty's"

"I'm sure you do" Nicole laughed "But how does a hockey player end up with an awesome artisanal coffee shop?" She asked

"Well, I always loved coffee, I was that weird ten year old kid who drinks coffee with the grown-ups. And after enough visits to the ER and an early retirement, I just thought why not" Shorty took a sip of his beer before he continued "Do what you love and you don't have to work a day in your life, or some bullshit like that"

"That's actually a very smart move" Nicole smiled politely "And apparently one that has been paying out" she pointed to her now empty cup of coffee

"Or so they say! But now you tell me, how does a girl like you end up being a bodyguard?" Shorty asked in an attempt to get to know the redhead a little better

"Well, it wasn't exactly my first choice" Nicole laughed "I've always wanted to be a cop"

"How so?" The man asked curiously

Nicole smiled brightly and adjusted her body to a more comfortable position and Waverly knew how that was a topic the woman enjoyed talking about. The redhead started to talk about how being a cop was a family tradition that started with her great grandfather who was a sheriff in a small town in Texas before he moved to town with his wife and kids. After that her grandfather and her dad simply followed the family tradition, they were programmed to be police officers from childhood. When Nicole was born, it was a big surprise, she already had a five year old sister and her father was hoping for a boy, so he got tiny police hats and uniforms for the kid. The man got disappointed for about five seconds before he decided the newborn baby would dress up like a cop even though she was a little girl, and from that moment on Nicole was raised to be a cop. She would always dress as a police officer for Halloween even though it made kids laugh because of her lack of creativity, she would play inside her dad's car when he got home and he even let her play with the alarm a few time through the years and she was a constant presence at the station, taking cookies and doughnuts to the precinct as often as she could. But her favorite memory was of her five or six year old self sneaking into her parent's room and dressing her dad's uniform. That day, she tried to wait for him by the door, hat on her head, serious look on her face and two hands on his belt. Her father found her sleeping right there so he tugged his little girl in and made a metal note to buy her a belt of her own, which she received only two days later.

Although the conversation had started with Waverly, Nicole and Shorty, as the redhead spoke the other guests approached the booth to try and listen to the woman talking so passionately about her story. Nicole proceed to talk about her teenage years, when she put a lot of effort into learning fighting techniques such as boxing and MMA and learning how to use a weapon. Her family supported her all the way, but her dad was always more than willing to show her everything, to take her to every single class and to teach her how to be an officer of the law, he was her number one fan and supporter. After all that training joining the academy was pretty easy, she was top of her class and aced every step of her training so she got to choose where she wanted to be assigned and needless to say she was the new rookie working on her father's precinct. Nicole loved her first few months of being a police officer even though all she did was give away parking tickets, the sense of duty and honor was enough to make her wake up every day with a smile on her face, put on her uniform and go where she was needed. After her father retired and moved to Miami with her mom, she was the only Haught in the station and she was no longer benched, in fact she was right in the middle of the action, and that was not as cool as she dreamt of. Her second week out of parking duty and she and her partner found themselves in the middle of a gang war and had to protect the civilians who also got in the crossfire while they tried to keep themselves alive. They managed to call in for backup and less than two hours later they all had the situation under control with no civilian casualties, but among the many bullets she fired towards the gang members one hit and killed one of them, a fifteen year old boy. After that, Nicole couldn't go back to work anymore and the police psychiatrist thought so as well. But since she still wanted to serve and protect, and in need of a job she sent in a job application for The Black Badge and less than a year later she was knocking on the Earp's door.

Waverly had heard that story before, not the full and complete version she shared in the middle of the cafe, but most of it, especially the part about the incident. She knew how much Nicole loved the essence of being a cop, the idea of keeping people safe and helping maintain order in the world, and she knew how devastated the woman got when she found out she couldn't be a police officer anymore, and the writer could only hope she was satisfied with keeping only one person safe, but something inside of her just knew Nicole was happy with her current occupation.

After the bodyguard finished her story, Shorty nodded seriously, signaling that he somehow understood her story and appreciated her telling him the whole truth. Wynonna and Doc also looked very interested in the tale but as soon as Nicole was fished, the couple returned to their previous spot by the end of the cafe. The older man talked a little bit about everything and anything while he finished his drink, before he excused himself and left Nicole and Waverly alone to their own devices. The writer quickly crawled into her girlfriend's lap and the redhead willingly welcomed her, wrapping her arms around the smaller woman as they let silence fill in the room. They stood like that for long minutes, enjoying each other's presence, breathing in each other's scent, playing with their intertwined fingers and just belonging. Waverly was almost falling asleep when she heard her girlfriend's voice calling her name.

"Waverly" Nicole said in the sweetest tone ever causing the writer to melt and pull even closer to her girlfriend's body

"Hum" She hummed unwilling to form any kind of sentence, felling too blessed by the perfect day

"I love you" Nicole said.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I dont know what happened but this chapter is so long lol, i hope you like 7k words. Anyways, this chapter has been in my mind from day one and i'm very happy i finally got to write it and show it to you guys, i hope you like it, i can't wait for your feedback!! Also, this is going to be a very busy week for me so i'm not sure i'll be able to upload on friday, i'll try but it's more likely that the next chapter will come out next monday.

12.

The sappy romantic comedy had caught Waverly's attention and she had begged Nicole for almost a month to go to the movies with her, she had to pull a combination of puppy eyes and a pouting in order to get her girlfriend to agree but there they were, leaving the movies at ten pm with a great smile on their faces. They walked towards the parking lot and Waverly giggled to herself, her sister would freak out tremendously if she found out Nicole had a badass motorcycle, she could actually see Wynonna's face, she would look so shocked and in a complete mix of feelings, she'd most definitely run towards the thing, adrenaline flooding her veins, and maybe one or two tears escaping her eyes. The writer would never have thought of Nicole as a motorcycle person like her sister, but it wasn't like it mattered much because she looked really damn good on top of it. The bodyguard helped her deal with the helmet before she turned on the engine and the motorcycle moved forwards with a smooth move. 

The writer wrapped her arms around Nicole's torso and rested her head on her back. She would normally be slightly terrified and completely overthinking every single catastrophic scenario that could come out of a motorcycle accident, but feeling Nicole's body against her was enough to make the writer feel completely safe, so she chose to pay attention to the small details of the ride instead. Like how their breathing were in sync or how good Nicole smelled, how the wind hit her whole body and how the adrenaline was burning inside of her. The black Harley was flowing like water, steady, fast and naturally, and Nicole rode it with mastery. They got home way too fast and Waverly wished she could've stopped the moment just so she could savour the feeling a little longer. 

"Wynonna will flip when she sees this" Waverly told her girlfriend 

"Why? You're safe" Nicole said in a defensive tone "I'm very careful when I ride the bike, it's not dangerous"

"Chill babe" Waverly giggled "She loves motorcycles, that's why"

"Oh" The bodyguard said feeling really dumb for not figuring that out earlier 

"I'm surprised you don't know that" Waverly teased "You two are like best buds now, ain't it?"

"No need to be jealous Wave" Nicole teased right back "Most of the time she's teasing me about you or making threats to my life"

"We've been dating for months now and she's still making threats?" Waverly laughed loudly

"On a daily basis" Nicole tried to sound serious but ended up laughing with her girlfriend

"Good thing you're buttering her up with food" Waverly pointed to the excessively large back of McDonald's she was carrying

"I did that to you as well" Nicole pointed out and given her girlfriend's confused eyes she proceeded to explain "With all that coffee when you were on tour"

"Oh yes, so food is your move Haught?" The writer half joked half teased

"I've got plenty of moves" She said while she took off her helmet in a way too theatrical manner

"You're just talk Nicole" Waverly provoked

"You haven't seen the half of my moves yet darling" Nicole said simply

"I suppose that's one thing to look forward to then" Waverly smiled 

"Now let's get this food to Wynonna because she gets really grumpy when she's hungry" Nicole said already walking towards the elevator

"You guys have a weird friendship" Waverly stated to herself before accompanying her girlfriend

Waverly thought she was giggling to herself, the idea of her girlfriend and her sister being best buds warmed her heart, after all the Earp sisters always seemed to hate each other’s significant others so it was in fact a great surprise. But as they waited patiently for the elevator’s doors to open she caught a glimpse of Nicole and she saw the woman with an evil smile at her lips, the writer wasn’t quite sure what that was all about but she sure felt the air getting heavier. The lift arrived and as soon as they stepped in everything played as if they moved in slow motion. The Earp woman saw their reflection on the mirror inside the lift, she saw the little screen indicating the garage floor, heard the computerized voice informing they were going up and she saw the grey doors slowly moving towards each other.

She saw it through the mirror before she felt it. She saw Nicole closing the small distance between them and she saw her directing her hands towards her hips and cheek. Waverly felt as her girlfriend turned her around with a swift move causing the McDonald’s bag to fall on the floor and the last thing she saw before closing her eyes was Nicole staring deep inside her eyes with a burning desire and the same evil smile she had seen mere minutes before. She heard the voice indicating they had gotten to the first floor and she felt Nicole’s lips on hers, passionately, hungrily, desperately. Waverly couldn’t tell exactly when they started moving but she felt her body hitting the mirrored wall and Nicole’s hipping pressing on hers, pinning her to the wall and making it even more intense. Her temperature was rising by the second and she could feel her body burning up, she was supposed to be going home, plain and simple, but she was in an intense make out session with her girlfriend in the middle of the elevator.

The voice indicated the eighth floor and Waverly couldn’t remember when it had been the last time that she had breathed. Nicole was putting all of herself on that kiss and Waverly could feel it, she could feel her hands holding Waverly’s above her head, her hips pinning the writer to the wall, her legs right in between the Earp’s, her lips devouring Waverly’s and her tongue playing every trick in the book. That was a pleasant surprise, something she could've never dreamt of, but as soon as it started it was over, but this time regardless of how much Waverly wanted time to slow down, minutes became seconds. The panel indicated the penthouse level, the grey doors moved away from each other and Nicole pulled away, picking up the bag from the floor and walking away from the elevator. The writer stood there, mind completely blank, with a messy hair and a fast breathing, she couldn't make her muscle moves and she almost took another trip to the garage level weren't for her girlfriend's laugh that pulled away from her state. 

"I supposed we'll have to continue that tomorrow" Nicole laughed

"What the hell?" Waverly said still shocked, unable to believe that had just happened "What was that?"

"That was me, having moves" Nicole said simply as she opened the door and entered the apartment

"No!" The writer tried to make her mind work "That was just cruel"

"Well, weren't you so provocative before?" Nicole joked "What was it that you said?"

"That you had no moves" Waverly said trying to keep her hear up but admitting her defeat after a few seconds

"And here's a lesson for the future" The bodyguard smiled "I can be very mean" she winked

"You're an evil woman Nicole Haught" Waverly laughed "An evil woman"

"Whatever" She shrugged her shoulders "You love me"

"Do not" Waverly pouted and started to walk away from her girlfriend forcing her to jog in order to get to her

"Yes you do" Nicole giggled when she reached her girlfriend and then tried to kiss her, without success

"What's going on here?" Wynonna came out of her room "You guys are very loud, damn" 

"Your sister won't admit she loves me" Nicole laughed trying to kiss the writer again

"She teased me and then left me hanging!" Waverly yelled, finally managing to scape her girlfriend's embrace

"First of all, that's just cruel Haught" Wynonna laughed loudly "Why would you do that to sweet Waverly?" She joked

"She said I have no game" Nicole said nonchalantly and she watched as Waverly arched an eyebrow to her sister, daring her to not back her up "Like if"

"She's got game baby girl" Wynonna said honestly without even taking time to think

"I hate the both of you" She huffed and started to walk back towards her room "I'm going to take a cold shower"

"I love you too" She heard Nicole yelling before she closed the door

/

Waverly opened her eyes to find her room a complete mess, there were pieces of clothes spread all over the place, not that it was an unusual scenario, living with Wynonna Earp meant getting her stuff stolen every once in a while, but she also noticed a half full pair of suitcases at the corner. She saw Wynonna mindlessly throwing stuff out of her closet and into the room while Nicole tried to fix the mess, folding the clothes in two piles in the middle and putting the rest inside the luggage. Waverly realized how the pieces going inside the bag didn't seem to make any sense whatsoever it went from coats and blankets to bikinis and sunscreen, and she huffed frustrated knowing she'd have to deal with that after she woke up. However, the scene was so unbelievable that she wondered if she was still dreaming, having zero will to figure it out she gave in to oblivion and immediately felt her eyes getting heavy again. 

The writer heard giggles coming from the closet accompanied by someone saying they were going to die, and she would've been mad to be woken up for the second time wasn't for the sweet sound Nicole's laugh coming from the adjacent room. Waverly groaned and finally gave up sleeping, she stretched her body before lazily getting out of the bedroom and walking towards the bathroom. The laughs and giggles quieted down and she heard as things were being rapidly reorganized and as the suitcases were being zipped up, and she thought to herself that if they were trying not to make a lot of fuss they were failing epically. The writer splashed water on her face, brushed her teeth, combed her hair and changed out of her pajamas before she returned to her bedroom where she found Nicole sitting on her bed with two packed suitcases by her feet. 

"I'm glad you're up!" The woman smiled and said excitedly

"You two weren't very discreet" Waverly walked towards her girlfriend and kissed her forehead before sitting by her side "You guys woke me up"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to, but you know Wynonna is very loud" Nicole smiled and opened her arms to welcome her girlfriend

"That's an understatement" Waverly closed her eyes and let Nicole hold her

"But I'm glad you're up" Nicole said in a serious tone and Waverly remembered that there were two very large and very mysterious suitcases in the room "I packed"

"I can see that" Waverly pointed out the obvious "Are you leaving me?" She joked

"Yes, this is goodbye" Nicole laughed but the writer could see how anxious she really was "No, this one is for me" Nicole pointed to the big black one "and that one is for you" she pointed to the red one

"I didn't know we were going on a trip" The writer stated calmly in an attempt to calm her girlfriend down 

"That's the whole point of a surprise isn't it?" Nicole smiled nervously "I thought we could go on a trip tonight, just us"

"That sounds like a great idea" Waverly took Nicole's hands on hers and toyed with their intertwined fingers 

"Good, we leave in ten minutes" She said already getting up and taking the luggage out of the room

"What? But, no. You know I like to plan stuff, I can't just go. I need like two or three days to figure it out. I don't even know where we're going or what you put inside that suitcase" The writer rambled anxiously causing her girlfriend to laugh

"That's why your sister helped me plan the whole thing" Nicole looked at her with sincere eyes "Everything is going to be fine. We'll be back tomorrow night. Don't you trust me?"

"Wynonna helped you, how reassuring" Waverly shook her head "But yes, I do trust you, so I suppose I'll just follow your lead then"

"Good! You have ten minutes to get ready, I'll be waiting for you in the car" Nicole moved towards the door but stopped for a second to talk again "You might want to change your clothes again, into something more adventure friendly" she said pointing to the gym shorts her girlfriend was wearing "I picked up something for you in advance" and then she left the room

"Oh great" Waverly mumbled sarcastically to herself "Adventure friendly" she walked towards her closet and changed into the suggested clothes her girlfriend had left there "I can't wait"

Because she was a stubborn five year old Waverly took an extra five minutes to get to the garage level where she found her car packed with an immense diversity of bags, suitcases and boxes. She wanted to ask so many questions, like why they would ever need that much stuff for a weekend out or where they were going or why she couldn't know anything about the destination and lastly she wanted to ask what Nicole was up to, but she knew very well that her girlfriend would only smirk and deny her the answers, so she chose to get in the car and get with the program, whatever that was. They stopped at a coffee house downtown in order to get breakfast and flashbacks of Amsterdam immediately flooded the writer's head and calmed her anxious control freak heart, she was a planner but she knew she could let Nicole take the steering wheel and just enjoy the ride because her girlfriend would never let her down. She stood in the car as Nicole went inside and ordered two large coffees and a few bagels to go and she felt way less cranky after her first sip on the coffee. 

Waverly wasn't much of an outdoorsy person, she would pretty much always go to the same places with the same people, and whenever she felt like she needed to run away for a while she would just drive to the nearest B&B she could find without taking the destination into consideration, so it didn't really came as a surprise when she realized she had no idea where Nicole was taking her. The writer didn't recognize neither the roads nor the landscaping and she was fairly certain she had never checked in on any of the cheap hotels they passed by the side of the road, and she was one hundred percent sure she would've remembered driving through those beautiful tree-lined roads. Waverly thought it was such an interesting contrast to have that amount of nature just a few miles away from the big city and she mentally cursed herself for not knowing about this place sooner, with that much peace and quiet and with that view she could've finished five books by that point. Her train of thoughts was abruptly interrupted by the sound of music coming out of the car radio and Waverly realized that, while she was paying attention to the road and the trees, Nicole plugged her phone to the car and started to play a playlist she had named "on the road". The first song to play on shuffle elicited a small yell from the bodyguard who immediately started singing along to Vanessa Carlton's song, the woman sang animatedly the whole song, including the instrumental parts and, despite Waverly's best effort to not join her girlfriend X factor moment, by the end of the song she was singing along and rocking every single note. 

The rest of the two and a half hour drive passed by quickly with the women engaging in a singing battle that most of the time ended up with an exciting round of laughter after the designated singer would screw up a falsetto. The playlist had started to repeat itself for the fourth time when Nicole pulled up and turned the engine off, there was not much around aside from a small wooden cabin and a lot of forest. Waverly accompanied her girlfriend as the woman got out of the car and walked towards the cabin, pulling a key from her back pocket and opening the door to reveal a place that once probably was a great refuge from the big city stress. Nicole sighted and shook her head and the writer knew right away that the sight was not something her girlfriend was pleased to see and she thought that maybe the unexpected decadent cabin would ruin their weekend, but she was proven wrong when Nicole pulled a tent out of the trunk. 

"This house belongs to Dolls" Nicole stated simply as she kept unloading the trunk "He got it as part of an inheritance from a distant uncle or something"

"That's cool" Waverly observed the place and see could see why it was a family heritage, the cabin itself wasn't too much but the forest was to die for

"But he's afraid of the woods, he has like a phobia" Nicole scratched her mind to try and remember the exact name of the phobia "Sylvan dread, also known as hylophobia"

"I can't believe you remembered those names, you're such a nerd" Waverly joked

"Well he did say it a bunch of times in order to justify him keeping his distance from this beautiful place despite of his extensive military training" The woman giggle and Waverly could easily paint the scene in her mind "The thing is, he doesn't use it, never put one feet here, so he didn't know exactly in which state it would be, that's why I got us plan B and C"

"So we're camping" Waverly said and her fear was visible "In the middle of the woods"

"That's the idea" Nicole said excitedly but stopped herself when she realized how scared Waverly actually was "Or we could just put the sleeping bags inside the cabin, either way this is a pretty safe area and I brought my gun so we'll be fine" Nicole said in a reassuring tone "We can light up a fire and eat s'mores if you want"

"Okay, you should always start with the food Nicole, it's your only move remember?" She joked and the memory of what happened in the elevator made her heat up "But I'm sold" Waverly said suddenly excited at the prospect of spending a night under the stars alone with Nicole "But tell me something, why did you go to all this trouble?"

"Well, because tomorrow is your birthday and I wanted to make it special, so I thought a romantic night would do the trick" Nicole smiled "Wynonna, Dolls and Doc brainstormed with me and since you like the quiet so much I thought you'd like the woods" She spoke calmly in order to get every step of the plan through Waverly's head "I booked a hotel and all of that but Dolls texted me and offered his cabin"

"Wait, when did you guys got together to plan all of this?" Waverly asked curiously, unable to understand why the four of them would ever be in the same place together if it didn't have anything to do with her

"We were just hanging" Nicole said and Waverly knew she was lying but chose to let it go

"I can't believe you guys had a secret meeting and that you guys didn't fill me in" Waverly said a bit upset "But I'm actually impressed you got my sister to keep her mouth shut about this place"

"Oh, she doesn't know we're here, she just knows we're in some kind of refuge in the middle of the woods" Nicole stated "anyways, if we want to put that tent up and build that fire we need to get going"

"Lead the way" Waverly smiled

The writer decided that she could put the tent together while Nicole should be the one to build the fire, after all the first one required only that she read and followed the instructions while the second one required way more practical skills that she did not mastered. Surprisingly it took her less than an hour to build the tent and get everything they needed inside of it and Nicole had packed perfectly, which meant they had flashlights with extra batteries, all kinds of food, sleeping bags, a lot of pillows and blankets and a lot of bags in general. After she arranged everything Waverly walked towards her girlfriend, who was admiring her creation and they both sat by the fire together. The writer felt her girlfriend entangling their fingers together and smiled brightly thinking she would most definitely not have thought camping was a reasonable romantic getaway idea, but there they were watching the sunset creating a magical atmosphere inside the woods with the twilight on top of the trees and the song of the animals and everything as simply perfect.

They stood like that for a long time, just enjoying everything, the peace and quiet, their beautiful surroundings, the fire that was keeping them warm despite how fast the temperature was dropping and most of all, they enjoyed each other's company. Waverly held her breathe whenever an animal would make an unexpected sounds and she enjoyed profoundly when Nicole pulled her impossibly closer to assure her she was safe, but she observed that the woman kept looking at her gun whenever that happened. Nicole looked extremely beautiful with the fire illuminating her face, almost angelic, and Waverly fell even more in love with her. The writer freed her hand and got up from her chair, walking away from the fire and towards the tent, she knew what she wanted to do but she felt the mix of good and bad anxiety making her stomach twist and turn. Waverly checked if Nicole really was looking at her and started to take off her clothes, slowly and sexy, teasing her girlfriend every step of the way, leaving a trail of clothes on the dirt until she reached the tent and disappeared inside of it.

A few seconds later Nicole showed up at the tent, and Waverly wondered if their clothes laid together on the muddy ground, messily scattered all over the place, a sign of their burning desire. The writer noticed how her girlfriend had goose bumps all over her body before they even touched and in that moment, in that marvelous place, living on a fantasy island carefully prepared just for her, she knew what it was like to be loved and desired completely. She poured everything she had on every kiss she laid on Nicole's body, her lips, her neck, her chest, her abs, her inner thighs and her center. She left a little bit of her heart and soul whenever her fingers would touch Nicole, from when they pulled her hair slow and hard, to when they pinched and soothed her chest and to when they twisted and turned inside of her. Waverly showed all of her devotion by taking her girlfriend over the edge time and time again as the night went by, and they both took their time showing their love and desire. 

/

Waverly woke up with the sunlight hitting the tent directly and turning her love nest into an unbearable sauna. She huffed annoyed, her skin was covered in a thick layer of sweat cause by her late night exercises and her whole body ached delightfully, the writer couldn't tell exactly for how long she had slept but she could still feel her skin burning where Nicole touched her. Waverly got up in one quick move when she realized that her girlfriend was nowhere to be seen or heard, and given the fact that they were all alone in the middle of the woods she immediately started panicking and weren't for the small piece of paper on Nicole's pillow she would've called the police right there. The bodyguard had left a very succinct note telling the writer that they had old coffee inside the thermos and that she should go to the cabin when she was fully awaken. Waverly did as she was told, drank the coffee, stretched her muscles and walked straight towards the wooden cabin where she found Nicole sitting on the floor behind a red box. 

"Hi" Waverly smiled and she noticed how her girlfriend's eyes kept traveling back and forth between her and the box "What's up with the bossy note?" She joked trying to lighten up the mood

"I love you" Nicole stated simply

"I love you too" Waverly responded the same way but couldn't hide how confused she was with the situation as she closed the door and rested her weight on it

"I lied" The bodyguard said looking deed inside the writer's eyes

"What?" Waverly said even more confused than before

"I didn't bring you here because I knew you'd like the peace and quiet" Nicole picked up the box and quickly walked the few steps to her girlfriend "I brought you here because I wanted this moment to be ours, and ours alone. Happy Birthday Wave" She smiled brightly before opening the box and revealing its content 

"What's... What... What's this?" Waverly said shocked

"This is everything I've collected from these eight months that we've been together" She smiled, clearly very proud of herself "Just go through it and you'll understand" Nicole said excitedly, the personification of a puppy

"Holy shit" Waverly said as she picked up the first of the many items inside the box "Is that the menu from our first date?" She asked and Nicole nodded "Oh god you stole this?"

"Yes" Nicole giggled "No I didn't. I politely asked for it and they said yes"

"Oh my god Nicole, this is everything" The writer smiled brightly as she went through the box "Movie tickets, the ring from that candy thingy I gave you in Paris" she continued to look at everything and frowned when she found a wrapped up gift "What's this?"

"Well, do you remember how you loved my sister's memory bracelet?" Nicole asked making Waverly think back to the encounter a few weeks earlier 

"Yes!" Waverly ripped the wrapping paper incredibly fast "Gun" she touched the first pin

"That would be me" Nicole smiled

"So I suppose the book one is me" she giggled happily "And the airplane is us and our travels" Waverly put the bracelet on and moved to kiss her girlfriend passionately "You and your romantic side are going to kill me one of these days"

"Happy birthday babe" Nicole smiled

They sat together on the cabin floor and Nicole kept her arms around Waverly's waist as the writer went through the box once again. Although the box wasn't big Nicole had managed to put a lot of stuff in it and with every new item she picked up, the writer got flashbacks that made her smile brightly. Nicole saved everything, all of their memories and more, she saved the VIP tickets that Doc gave them for his movie's premiere, a night that was perfect from beginning to end, starting with them making out in fancy dresses inside the car and ended up with them in fancy dresses eating a greasy burger on McDonald's. The bodyguard had also saved the short story Waverly had helped her niece write for school when the writer met her family for the first time. Waverly felt like she was on an emotional roller coaster as she checked everything, she cried and laughed and felt butterflies in her stomach, and the little girl who's birthday often was forgotten by her father had received one of the best birthday gifts ever from the woman she was madly in love with.

Waverly was so happy in their private paradise that she thought she might kill her sister when the woman called dramatically saying there was an emergency at home and that they needed to get back as soon as possible. The writer actually considered ignoring her sister and her "life or death" emergency in order to not leave paradise and get back to reality, but she saw Nicole looking at her with her serious and responsible eyes and she pouted, knowing full well that they were going home and that was out of discussion. She dreaded having to go home and, despite how decided Nicole was, she knew that the woman felt the same way because it took them almost thrice the time to put everything back in the car, and through the whole ride home her girlfriend didn't seem the slightest interested in hitting the gas and speeding up. She knew she should be worried about Wynonna's big emergency but Nicole gave her such a strong sense of safety that she had a hard time believing anything bad could happen but still she played with her brand new bracelet to try and relax, passing her finger through every single pin, and feeling her heart beating stronger whenever her finger touched the tiny gun. 

They got home and quickly picked up their suitcases, choosing to take the rest of the stuff up the apartment after they checked out what was the big emergency. As the elevator moved, Waverly finally felt her nerves building up and allowed herself to imagine every single possible scenario that could've happened to her sister, before she knew it she was sweating and breathing in quickly, worried that something really serious, life or death serious, could've actually happened to someone she loved. The writer felt Nicole tightening the grip on her hand and was thankful for the woman's ability to read her so easily. But when she opened the door she realized how every single one of the scenarios she envisioned were completely wrong. 

"Surprise!" Everyone shouted as the lights were turned on and as they left their hiding places

"What the fuck" Waverly said, clearly too shocked by the surprise and the amount of people inside her house 

"A surprise birthday party" Nicole whispered in her ear and the writer noticed how she was giggling "I was going to say act surprised but you already are"

"Hello sis!" Wynonna appeared by her side with a bottle of beer that the writer gladly took "Happy birthday"

"You did all of this?" She asked surprised

"Oh yes" Her sister said excitedly "Haught stuff had the idea and I made sure everything happened as planned"

"As planned?" Waverly suddenly felt really dumb for not seeing the signs right under her nose 

"I invited everyone and took care of the food and the decor, obviously" Wynonna said nonchalantly "Doc and Dolls took care of the drinks and music, and Haught had to get you out of the house while we prepared everything" She smiled before continuing "Although I'm pretty sure it was her intention all along, to get you all to herself"

"I can neither confirm nor deny that" Nicole laughed loudly 

"So everyone is here?" Waverly analyzed every face inside her apartment

"Yes, I invited your friends and the cool crew from your publishing company" Wynonna said "Oh, and Nedley, Shorty and Gus are here as well"

"Amazing" The writer smiled, finally moving over her initial reaction "Thank you for this, you guys are amazing. I love both of you" she said honestly eliciting smiles from both women 

Waverly was absolutely certain that Nicole and Wynonna had given her the best birthday ever, and she couldn't hide her happiness as she walked around the apartment hugging and talking to every single one of her guests. Waverly found the publishers first, her sister had invited only two people including the woman who had scouted Waverly when she was still in college and her first editor, they were both incredible and genuinely cared about the writer. For her genuine surprise Waverly saw Gus talking animatedly with Shorty on the couch, she was about to mettle in the conversation when she realized that they were standing incredibly close and that the man had a way-too-bright smile on his face. She giggled and cursed her stupid self for not seeing that possibility, of course they were perfect for each other, she should've seen it sooner and played Cupid, that's why she moved on to the next group, leaving them to their devices. There weren't more than fifty people in the penthouse but all of them were very important to the writer and each one of them had their reasons for loving Waverly. 

After an hour or so of entertaining her guests, the writer spotted Nicole talking to Dolls in the kitchen. She walked towards them and was unsurprised to find them talking animatedly about a soccer match that had happened that morning. Nicole smiled when she saw Waverly and opened her arms to hug her tightly and the writer welcomed the familiar embrace she had gotten so used to. She listened as the two bodyguards talked, making a few pointed comments here and there but mostly just enjoying the conversation as a passive listener and observing the party. Waverly had spaced out when she felt Nicole kissing the top of her head eliciting an involuntary smile to appear on her face and she was just getting ready to lead her girlfriend into her room and lock the door when Wynonna appeared out of nowhere and literally pulled Nicole away from her sister. She wanted to go and get her girlfriend back but in the corner of her eyes she saw her childhood friends walking towards her. 

"Oh my god Waverly, that's a very nice party!" Stephanie said and the writer watched the other two women nodding in agreement

"Thank you, I'm glad you're enjoying it, but I had no part in the preparations" She said politely

"Of course, it was a surprise party" Chrissy smiled "Happy birthday by the way, I wish you the best"

"Thank you" Waverly responded 

"I'm amazed you didn't figure it out, your sister is not very discreet" Bethany pointed out "How did she hide it from you?" She asked curiously

"Actually she's very efficient when she puts her mind to something" Waverly defended her sister "But I was camping in the woods"

"Oh my god! Were you with that sexy guy that you were talking to earlier today?" Stephanie said excitedly "You naughty"

"Who? Dolls?" Waverly pointed to the man who was talking to Nedley and the woman nodded "Oh no, he's my bodyguard, nothing like that" she laughed nervously at the awkward situation "Actually I was with my..."

"That's too bad" Stephanie interrupted her "He's really hot" she took in a deep breath "And you could use a hot piece like that after that Amsterdam miss understanding"

"What miss understanding?" Bethany asked 

"That video of Waverly dancing with her friend. The one everyone assumed was her affair or something" The woman laughed hysterically "It was a mess really"

"Actually" Waverly started to talk but an idea came to her mind "Give me one second" the writer searched for her bodyguard and took her back from Wynonna before returning to the group "Girls this is Nicole Haught, she's my girlfriend"

"I didn't know you were a..." Stephanie tried to hide her evident shock "a gay"

"Neither did I until Nicole" the writer smiled

The other two women hugged Nicole excitedly, clearly understanding how important the woman was to the writer, and started to talk to the bodyguard about various subjects from how they met Waverly to their embarrassing teenage memories. Bethany and Chrissy were so genuinely excited for Waverly that they didn't even bother to look twice at Stephanie, who looked absolutely shocked and surprised with the new development on the writer's life. They talked for a long time and at some point in the middle of the conversation Waverly unconsciously linked her hand with Nicole and started to play with her fingers, and when Stephanie asked if she had any news from Champ she felt her girlfriend tightening the grip. 

/

The party advanced through the night fueled by a vast variety of alcohol, thanks to Doc and Dolls, and an endless amount of embarrassing situations for the birthday girl. After having her childhood best friends telling Nicole about how Waverly had had her first drink on prom night and ended up throwing up in their teacher's shoe, Waverly had been forced to make a speech in the middle of all of her friends and family. To top all that, after the birthday cake was presented and they sang happy birthday, Waverly closed blew the candles and closed her eyes to make a wish but she heard Wynonna yelling something like "she's wishing she was alone with her girlfriend" causing both the writer and the bodyguard to blush severely. But she wouldn't have changed one single thing about the night, it was in fact the best birthday party she had ever had. Waverly was saying goodbye to Pete from college and his brother when Shorty appeared by her side

"Happy birthday kiddo" He said happily and gave her a small pack "I know it doesn't make much sense for anyone these days but I thought you might like it" 

"A dip pen? Really" Waverly smiled brightly "You didn't have to!" She couldn't hide how excited she was with the gift "Thank you so much!"

"I'm glad you liked it" The man offered her one of his warmest smiles "I'm very pleased to see you this happy Waverly"

"I have everything I've ever wanted" She said sincerely "Someone I love and trust completely, and that I know feels the same way, a real family and real friends. And we're all happy and healthy. Why wouldn't I be happy?"

"That's very good kiddo" He said sincerely 

"And what about you, I saw you and Gus hitting it off earlier today" The writer teased

"She's a lovely woman" He blushed and Waverly had to laugh at his reaction "I invited her for breakfast at the cafe tomorrow morning"

"Are you going to get her by the stomach?" Waverly joked 

"Yes. Nicole said it seems to work" He teased back

"I can confirm that" Waverly felt the stomach twist and turn at the simple mention of the woman's name "But I'm glad you're happy, maybe we can double date one of these days"

"Let's take it one step at a time shall we?" He tried to sound serious but failed miserably "Who knows what surprises the future has in store for us"

"Good things I hope" She said 

"I'm cautiously optimistic kiddo" he smiled "Anyways, Nicole offered to take me home so I didn't have to catch a cab and I should really get going if I want to prepare something extra special for my date tomorrow" He signaled to Nicole who started walking in their direction 

"Oooh hot date" Waverly giggled "Text to tell me how it went" She walked him towards the elevator and was met halfway by her girlfriend "Are you taking the car?" She asked

"No, I told him about my motorcycle and he wants to feel the night breeze" Nicole said 

"Okay, you two be safe alright?" She kissed her girlfriend

"This woman is too responsible to do anything crazy on that bike, she's not your sister. I think we'll be alright" He joked "Bye kiddo" 

"Bye Shorty" Waverly laughed at his joke "Don't take too long babe"

"Okay. I'll see you soon alright?" Nicole said 

"Yes" Waverly smiled but suddenly felt her body tensing up with a wave of anxiety 

"Go enjoy the party and she'll be back before you know it" Shorty was able to read the writer's body language very quickly "I promise"

"Yes, yes" Waverly smiled "Bye guys"

"I lov" Nicole tried to say but the elevator's door closed before she had the chance and those three words were left hanging, causing Waverly to feel a little weird. She most definitely couldn't wait to get her girlfriend back. 

/

His hands trembled as he searched for his phone, everything was dark except for the fire. The man dialed the number as fast as he could, he was in complete shock, after all he was sure they were all dead. The two vehicles were practically one, metal pieces were scattered all around the street, some of which were tainted with blood and other burning red because of the fire, you couldn't see what was the motorcycle and what was the car. That was not supposed to happen at all, it was supposed to be a simple ride home and not that. He had a very important date in the morning and he was not supposed to be injured and covered in blood, his head wasn't supposed to hurt that badly. But more than how he was supposed to be was how she was supposed to be, he had made a promise and, despite his foggy and confused mind and debilitated physical state, he was sure he had broken it. 

"911 what's your emergency?" The woman spoke on the other side of the line but he was too shocked to speak "Hello?" The woman tried again but he was too shocked to think "Are you unable to speak right now?" The woman follower normal procedures in an attempt to get an answer but he was too shocked to do anything at all "I can see your gps coordinates and I'm sending the police right away" He collapsed on the floor before he could comprehend what she was saying

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry :S


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry it took me a week to upload this chapter, and i"m sorry it's shorter than what im used to posting but here it is. The next two chapters are going to be a bit different because they're not going to be on Waverly's POV so i cant wait to hear what you have to say about it. Also, i loved your comments on chapter 12, it was very interesting lol

13.

"Why is it that you have a pink drink imported from Japan?" Nicole laughed loudly

"Dude it's not mine" Wynonna tried to keep a steady face but her somewhat foggy senses stopped her from succeeding "Of course it's Waverly's"

"Yeah, that sounds about right" Nicole smiled at the mention of her girlfriend's name

"I think, I think I know what you like the most about me" The Earp woman begun to say

"Is your personality? Your gun collection? Your ability to throw a great party?" Nicole tried to guess what her drunken friend was trying to say

"Is my sister" Wynonna giggled and she watched as Nicole laughed so hard she started crying

Waverly showed up a few minutes later looking for her girlfriend, something about making introductions that were overdue and although she was in a hurry to get Nicole to herself she couldn't help but stop for a little while and just admire her smile. Wynonna was most certainly happy with that relationship because she actually did like Nicole and as time passed and they started hanging out more and more she began to care deeply for the woman who had become one of her best friends, and she didn't have many of those. Her relationship with Waverly was very convenient, a badass chick with a gun and martial arts training who was a softie at heart, what else could a big sister want for her little sister?

Nicole and Waverly disappeared inside the apartment and Wynonna decided to try and mingle with Waverly's friends and when that proved to be an impossible task she returned to her privileged position near the bar. From there she could see Dolls standing near the door with his "oh so serious" face and despite the fact that they were all there as guests, she was certain the man was in bodyguard mode, guarding the door should a fast scape proved to be necessary, so typical of him. And on the other side of the apartment she saw Doc playing poker with a few of Waverly's friend, and she couldn't help but laugh at how good of an actor he actually was because even from afar it was as clear as day that he was lying about his cards in order to win the game. She laughed at how true they were to themselves, and how different they actually were from each other, and even so she managed to love both of them.

After the candles were blown and the cake was served, people started leaving, a few at a time, but on her mildly drunk state, Wynonna couldn't make out their faces. All she could think about was that the party was going great, a huge success, everyone was having fun and more importantly, Waverly was having fun. It was her birthday and she deserved to feel loved and cherished and to let go and have fun and, after Nicole planned the whole thing to its smallest details, Wynonna was satisfied with herself for delivering her part of the plan masterfully. She was chugging in her fourth or tenth tequila shot in a desperate attempt to get her mind to cool down so she would not murder one of Waverly's childhood best friends, whose names she couldn't remember, when her sister showed up at her side. 

"Thank you for all of this" She said honestly "It means a lot that you went to all this trouble"

"Shh sis, it's all good" She smiled but tried to keep her cool "I'm just glad you're having fun"

"I am indeed! I can't believe you called Stephanie" Waverly laughed "You always look like you want to murder her"

"Nicole said it was mandatory, that I had to call all of your friends" Wynonna shrug her shoulders "That woman is very bossy"

"She's not bossy, she's cute" The writer smiled

"Oh god, go be disgustingly in love with her somewhere else please" Wynonna faked an annoyed tone but couldn't hide her smile "Where's Nicole anyways, we were having a very interesting and deep talk before you egoistically pulled her out of the conversation"

"So are you and Nicole best friends now?" Waverly arched an eyebrow jokingly 

"Oh yes, she's pretty rad" The woman confessed "I actually do like her very much"

"What is it that I'm hearing ladies and gentlemen?" She used all of her acting talent to fake an extra dramatic reaction "Wynonna Earp talking feelings??"

"Oh well" The photographer nodded annoyingly 

"I don't think I like this friendship of yours" Waverly smiled "I'm pretty sure if we ever break up you'd choose her over me"

"Probably" Wynonna said "But that's mostly because you'd be the one to let her go, the woman worships the ground you walk over, there's no way she's ever letting you go"

"I'm not letting her go so" She said nonchalantly

"Oh god, go away, go find your girlfriend" Wynonna smiled 

"She gave Shorty a ride home but she should be back soon, they left a while ago" Waverly said 

"Isn't it like a twenty minutes ride tops from here to Shorty's?" Wynonna talked more to herself than to her sister "I haven't seen her in like two hours"

"I'm going to call them to see what's taking them so long" Waverly said already picking up her phone

"Yeah, go do that" The photographer said "I'm going to get a drink"

Wynonna watched as her sister disappeared inside the apartment and she wanted to punch herself in the middle of her face because Waverly seemed so relaxed until she mentioned the fact that Nicole was taking way too long to return. At that point, Waverly turned into a little ball of stress and worry that would probably end up with her having a panic attack in the middle of the party and her friends, and knowing Nicole the way she did, the woman probably had taken a detour to get the writer something thoughtful and romantic like flowers or a strawberry muffin. But at that point, there was nothing she could do, her sister was already stressing out somewhere and Nicole was probably on her way home and that whole mess would be dealt with soon enough, so, although she decided to keep her phone close, she turned up the music and got herself another drink. 

Wynonna was finally in a good place with herself and with her life, she actually did trust people again, she had friends and a family again and she had people that loved her for who she was, and for all of who she was, and not despite of her mistakes. Wynonna knew all those things mattered a lot but the thing she valued the most was the fact that she was okay with herself, with her flaws, her mistakes, her fuck ups and her past, she was strong enough to be okay with herself without necessarily needing other people to show her the way, she was stronger. She was dancing with Doc, feeling the beat taking over her body and the alcohol numbing her mind, she was feeling free and strong and alive when the bell rang. She huffed annoyed at whoever was interrupting her vibe, already wanting to punch whoever was ringing the bloody bell but as soon as she saw the a police officer standing in her doorway she immediately gave up on the idea of violence. 

"Hello officer, what can I do for you tonight?" She said calmly, watching her words to try and sound sober

"We're looking for a..." The young men she assumed was a rookie looked at his notes before he spoke again "Miss Earp"

"I'm Miss Earp" Wynonna smiled to try and calm down the visibly nervous rookie "How can I help?"

"Ma'am, you should come with me" He said in a serious tone

"Okay, first of all you can arrest me because my music is too loud" She said assuming that was what he was talking about "And lastly the neighbors are lying about the disturbance because the whole apartment is sound proof"

"Ma'am you need to come with me" The man said again, trying to keep his nerves at check and Wynonna realized that was probably the first time he was doing that without another cop present

"Okay Rookie, you need to tell me what's going on or I'm going to call my lawyer" Wynonna said finally too annoyed to try to be understanding

"Ma'am, there has been an accident" He said

"What?" She said shocked

"There has been an accident and you were the in case of emergency contact for both of them" The man said calmly, trying to remember his training "I need you to come with me"

"What accident?" Wynonna said shocked and at that point the alcohol started to kick in clouding her mind “What are you talking about?”

"Miss Earp, there has been a car accident and I'm afraid to inform you that Miss Haught is in the hospital and Mister Simmons did not resist and passed away" The man said with as much sensibility as he could convey 

"Shorty. His name is Shorty" Waverly said from behind her sister making her turn around quickly at the unexpected presence "Was" Wynonna looked at her sister but all she could see was empty eyes and an expressionless face

"Waverly" Wynonna moved to hug her but her sister pulled away so fast that it was like she was poisonous "Wave?" She tried but the writer didn't seem to be present "Excuse me officer do you mind giving us a second? I need to talk to my sister"

"Ma'am I must insist you come with me" He said "There are a few medical decisions that need to be made in the name of Ms. Haught and legal ones as well for Mr Simmons"

"Why are you even talking to me? I'm just their friend!" Wynonna yelled 

"Because you were the first name on her in case of emergency" He repeated his statement and showed the file to prove his point "Waverly Earp"

"That's my sister!" She yelled again and the man suddenly understood his enormous mistake

"You should go to the hospital" Waverly said in a lifeless voice tone "I... Can't. Not right now. I just..." She swallowed hard 

"Okay" Wynonna picked up her coat and her purse before signaling both Doc and Dolls "Xavier, I need you to stay here with Waverly and make sure she's okay, I'll be back as soon as I can"

"Yes" He said seriously but the photographer noted how hard she was trying to keep himself under control "Let me know how she is okay? Please"

"Yes, of course" She turned around to leave and was already inside the elevator when she heard the man responding

"Thank you" 

The rookie directed them to the police car parked outside of the apartment building and signaled for them to get in, Doc did as instructed but Wynonna suddenly felt her muscles legs failing her. She didn't have good memories of police cars, and not because she was trouble maker, but because the last time she had sat on the backseat of the blue car without handcuffs on was the day she returned from her kidnapping. Wynonna was about two seconds from falling face first on the concrete when her boyfriend held her hand and helped her inside the car, she had never seen Doc looking so serious and obstinate before but it was a damn good time for him to start doing that. 

Wynonna was so being hit by wave after wave of feelings she could not manage to cope, she was angry because Shorty was dead, she was worried sick because Nicole was at the hospital, she was confused by her sister's actions and most of all, she was sad. She felt the tears desperately fighting to escape her eyes, and suddenly she felt too small and too weak to carry the weight of all of that responsibility. The rookie pressed the break only mere milliseconds after Wynonna yelled at him to stop the car and it was barely enough to time for her to open the door and throw up for the first time that night, turns out the alcohol in her system mixed up with the overwhelming feelings just wasn't doing her much good. 

The drive to the hospital went by way too slowly, Wynonna desperately wanted to know what had happened, how Nicole was and she had so many unanswered questions but at the same time it passed way too quickly because she didn't know if she could actually handle Shorty's death. They stepped inside and were immediately asked to formally identify the body, which Doc volunteered in order to preserve the photographer, and when he provided an affirmative response to the identification process they were asked about one billion question as to what were his funeral plans, which Wynonna had absolutely no idea of. After trying her best to answer their questions she was allowed to see Nicole, briefly and through a glass because of her fragile state. The bodyguard laid in a private room, in the ICU, with several machines and tubes connected to her, her heart was being monitored and she needed help to breathe. She had a casts on both her legs and bandages around her wrists and she had various cuts and scratches all around her body. But although all of that seemed very worrying nothing scared Wynonna more than looking at her best friend lying in a hospital bed, unconscious, with her swollen head bandaged. 

"I..." Wynonna tried to talk but words just didn't seem right 

"That was not supposed to happen" Doc said in a sympathetic tone 

"This was supposed to be a simple ride home" Wynonna said trying to surpass her tears "Take him home and then get back home to the party she planned" The first tears started rolling down her cheek and she stubbornly brushed it off "She wasn't supposed to be at the hospital... She..." And that was it, the tears started escaping her eyes faster than she could wipe them off. 

"Hey, it's going to be okay" Doc said trying to calm him down "Do you wanna go outside get some air?" When Wynonna nodded he continued "Do you want me to find the doctor?" 

"Yes!" She said before sitting down and waiting for her boyfriend to return, which took about five minutes 

"Hello, Miss Earp" the doctor said politely

"I'm Wynonna Earp, I'm not Waverly, I'm not her girlfriend and I think that's an important information to disclose these days" She tried to laugh but came empty

"Then I'm afraid I can't give you any information about the patient, I'm sorry" The doctor said sadly, and the photographer knew he was trained to deal with situations like that

"My sister couldn't come, she's in shock, you don't have to tell me much, just something, anything, whatever you can give me so I can tell my sister and Haught's family" She looked at him with sad eyes "Please" The man looked sympathetic

"Well, ma'am... She had both of her legs broken and, since she took in most of the impact, she had a cardiac arrest, which basically means her lungs and heart collapsed a few times, but she's stable now. She also hit her head pretty badly, causing a head trauma. The only thing that saved her life was the fact that she was wearing a helmet" The man smiled sadly, and Wynonna was immensely grateful "If you want more information you should go to the other patient, he was the driver of the car and asked to talk to their family"

"He's able to speak?" She asked shocked 

"Yes, he didn't suffer many injuries aside from a big cut in his forehead and a broken arm. He's in room 307" The man excused himself and left to attend to other patients 

That was absolutely not what she would've expected, all the information she had about the accident came from the rookie's notes and all she knew was that the car had hit the motorcycle and the accident ended up with two casualties and two hospitalizations. But she could've never expected the person that caused the accident to be mostly okay while everyone was just not. Wynonna got out of the ICU and walked to the room the doctor had pointed out, she wasn't exactly sure of what she wanted to ask or what the man wanted to talk about but she knew she needed answers and that was the only way to get them. She knocked on the door and when the man signaled for her to enter, she told him who she was and the man started crying desperately while trying to explain what had happened. 

Wynonna observed that the man in fact seemed physically okay, almost as if he had only fell out of some stairs, but he looked almost dead inside, his eyes had no life at all and his puffy face indicated that he had been crying himself dry. He breathed in and out a few times, trying to recompose himself before he started talking more clearly. The man, Lou, was driving home with his long term girlfriend, Eve, after he asked her father for her hand in marriage, they were singing animatedly and laughing and he was happy because he was going to propose in the following morning. However at some point the car started to speed up out of control and although he tried very hard pressing the break it looked like the car had a life of its own. Lou said that, given their speed, after taking a sharp turn he couldn't turn the steering wheel, therefore couldn't keep the car on its lane and that's when the motorcycle appeared. 

Nicole had tried to deviate from the inevitable crash but in doing so, she lost control of the bike and they crashed hard, making the woman fly over the car. Lou had broken his arm when he tried to steady his girlfriend before the crash and hit his head and couldn't remember much after that, but he recalled seeing the fire coming from what remained of the motorcycle and that Shorty was stuck under the weight of it. He also remembered trying to pull him out but failing because of the sharp pain in his arm and the last thing Lou remembered before waking up in the hospital was calling the emergency, and that was when he learned that Eve and Shorty had passed away and that Nicole was in a critic state.   
Wynonna listen to the whole thing, trying to picture every scene, and to understand what had happened because although Lou had given her the details of the accident she still couldn't understand it. He cried desperately and the photographer knew exactly how he felt, he felt guilty and broken and he would relive those moments for the rest of his life, but even though she knew nothing could change his future she told the crying man that she forgave him and that it wasn't his fault. Wynonna found Doc waiting for her outside the room and she decided to go home, after all she needed to talk to Waverly and to Nicole's sister and figure out what to do next, and sitting at the hospital wouldn't do anyone any good. To her surprise Wynonna found the Dolls outside the apartment even though she had explicitly asked him to watch her sister and she was about to start yelling at him when the door opened and Waverly showed up

"I thought you were going to stay at the hospital" Waverly said emotionless 

"I came home to see how you were" Wynonna took a look at her sister and noticed the item by her side

"I'm peachy" The writer laughed grotesquely showing how truly broken she was 

"What's the suitcase for?" She asked hoping that what she assumed was not the case 

"I..." Waverly stuttered "Wynonna I can't"

"You don't get to do that Waverly" She wanted to understand her sister but her blood was starting to boil "You just don't"

"I have to do what I have to do" Waverly repeated the words Wynonna used to say so frequently 

"You don't get to be me" Wynonna started to scream "You don't get to be selfish like me, not now, not to her"

"Wynonna stop okay? Please" Waverly pleaded "I can't... I... Can't" 

"Wave we can get through this together, but you need to be here" Wynonna tried once again 

"I gotta go" Waverly picked up her suitcase and got on the elevator but not before her sister spoke again

"Do you even wanna know how she is? Do you even care?" The photographer said

"How's she?" Waverly asked and Wynonna noticed how her voice came out filled with pain 

"Barely alive" She said without minding her sister's broken figure 

"You said you'd pick her over me" Waverly said as the doors started to close "Take care of her okay?"

"Okay"

/

Wynonna did the same thing for almost two weeks. She would wake up and text Dolls asking for information about the reclusive writer and would get a short two or three words answer, then she would go for a quick run on her neighborhood where she would get breakfast and get a bouquet of new and fresh flowers. Then she would take a shower and drive to the hospital where she would put change the old flowers for the new one and spend all day flipping through the TV or reading magazines and newspapers by Nicole's bed. After visitation hours were over she would drive back to her empty apart and text her sister to inform her about Nicole's condition, knowing full well she would not get an answer, then she would fall asleep and wait to start it all over again the following day. 

Everyone was stopping by to visit the bodyguard at least once a day, including Doc, Dolls and Gus, everyone but Waverly. The doctor stopped by thrice a day to do a few routine exams that always seemed to conclude her condition was improving and Emily spent every morning with her sister before she had to leave to take care of her daughter. Wynonna was sitting by Nicole's bed, talking to the TV and occasionally checking up on the still unconscious woman when she felt her best friend moving agitatedly in her bed, after over ten days her friend was awake. She wanted to smile and to scream and to celebrate the fact, but she noticed how the woman looked completely and absolutely terrified, the woman desperately started to try and escape the tubes and machines and Wynonna had to intervene. 

"Hey, hey" Wynonna said in a calm tone "You need to calm down" she held her hands "You're at the hospital" She noticed how Nicole got even more scared and anxious "You were in an accident, do you remember anything?" She took a while but responded affirmatively with a nod "Okay good, stay calm, I'm going to get a doctor to check you up alright?" Nicole pulled her hand and her eyes traveled around the room and in that moment Wynonna felt her heart breaking "She's not here. It's just me" She smiled sadly and felt Nicole sinking in deeper into her hospital bed.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still very much overwhelmed with the response I’ve been getting on this fic, especially on the last two chapters, you guys are awesome and i surely do love discussing the story with you, so keep those comments coming. This chapter is from Nicole's point of view, i just thought it was important to see what's going on inside her mind, and I’m sorry in advance ;) I hope you guys like it!

14.

"I lov..." She tried to say but the elevator's door closed and she was left annoyed inside

"You two are such an adorable couple" Shorty smiled

"In Wynonna's words, we're actually annoying" The bodyguard laughed

"She doesn't mean that, she loves Waverly and seeing her happy warms her heart" Shorty took a breath before he continued "And quite frankly, she loves you too"

"I'm pretty sure party girl Wynonna Earp is dying to make friendship bracelets with me" Nicole laughed

"She has her way of showing it" He laughed as well "But I meant what I said, the two of you are special, I'm very thankful for you showing up in her life"

"Well, I really do love her, Shorty, she's the special one" Nicole allowed herself to close her eyes for a few seconds and picture her girlfriend by her side "I'm just constantly trying to be at the top of my game for her"

"She just needs you to be you, and to be there" He said sincerely "She loves you, but she's terrified of losing the people that she loves"

"I know that, but she's never losing me, not unless she wants me gone" Nicole said sincerely

"I know you mean that, so do me a favor and always remember that" His words sounded almost fatherly "Sometimes life can get in the way of fantasy"

"I'm not going anywhere Shorty" Nicole said firmly eliciting an approving nod from the cafe owner

"Can I ask you something?" He said mindlessly

"Yes of course, anything" Nicole said feeling her curiosity spike

"When you marry her, do you think I can walk her down the aisle?" His question certainly surprised Nicole, but not because the man was adamant that they were going to get married, but because he seemed to really doubt the fact that he'd be the one to play Waverly's fatherly part

"I don't think she'll want anyone else" Nicole smiled

That was pure happiness, Nicole thought to herself. Having her girlfriend's family approve her and actually support their relationship was a good and unexpected thing, a very interesting response for a change. So she smiled. She smiled as she put her helmet on and adjusted her body on the motorcycle, and she smiles even brighter when Shorty couldn't control his excitement with the roar of the engine. Nicole hit the gas and the motorcycle started to move, faster and faster, causing the wind to hit her skin and mess up her clothes. Nicole rode the bike with mastery, speeding up a bit whenever she could but hitting the brakes when it was necessary. So they drove, taking turn after turn, the cafe owner and the bodyguard enjoying the feeling. Everything was okay until Nicole saw the headlights coming in their direction, Shorty yelled and she tried to both turn the motorcycle and hit the brakes, but the car was moving too fast and there was virtually nothing to do other than to wait for the inevitable crash. She suddenly became very aware of the fact that Shorty's hands were no longer around her waist, but instead, she was flying, and flying, and flying, until she hit the ground and everything became too much. Nicole couldn't breathe correctly, and she felt every inch of her body hurting, her legs, her arms, her torso, her head. She smelled it before she saw it, the blood coming out of her own head, making her weak and numb and slowly but surely pushing her towards unconsciousness.

Nicole woke up sweating and breathing heavily, her heart rate was through the roof and she had to take a few minutes to recompose herself. That had been another nightmare, another unwanted memory of the accident coming to torture her in the middle of the night, and she would like nothing else but to move pass those dreams, to move on from the accident, to put it all behind her, but her head still hurt a bit around the cut and the muscles on her legs still twitched painfully forcing her to relieve those moments every second of her day, not to mention the fact that her heart felt heavy from all the feelings she was trying too hard to hide out of sight. That was the third time she woke up that night, the third time she woke up terrified, desperate and anxious, and that was the third time she opened her eyes to find a room completely empty and to find herself absolutely alone.

Nicole checked her watch and sighted frustrated when she realized it was seven in the morning and she hadn’t slept one bit during the night, and, despite the fact that her day wouldn’t really start until her first appointment at tem am, she knew that if she tried to sleep again, she would wake up to another nightmare so she pushed the idea aside and decided to walk to the kitchen where she was certain her sister would be preparing them breakfast. The few steps necessary to get from her bedroom to the kitchen would normally take her about ten seconds, but since she was still recovering from the accident and the subsequent two surgeries on her legs, she walked very carefully, paying attention to every single part of the movement and pushing away the stubborn pain on her knee that refused to go away. Five minutes after leaving her bed, Nicole found her sister in the kitchen covered in flour while she tried to make pancakes, fry bacon and prepare the coffee.

“Oh, hey” Emily said “Another nightmare?”

“Yes, the third one today” Nicole confessed honestly “Did I wake you?”

“No, no. Don’t worry about it Nic, I was already up making us breakfast” She said with an understanding smile “And, you haven’t been screaming anymore, not frequently at least”

“Yay, now I don’t Wake up the entire neighborhood with my nightmares, just me” Nicole couldn’t hide her frustration “Such an improvement”

“It is! It truly is, Nicole” Emily turned off the oven and walked towards the table in order to better read her sister’s emotions “It’s been less than four months Nicole, you gotta give yourself time to recover, don’t push yourself too hard and appreciate the little victories” She smiled kindly “Three months ago you couldn’t walk or even sleep properly, and look at you now”

“Yes, I know, but still” Nicole said in a defeated tone

“You want to be one hundred percent” Emily completed

“Yes.” She played with her fingers “I want to go home, and to get a new job. I want my life back” Nicole confessed “I’m sure your thirteen year old daughter is loving the fact that her aunt stole her room”

“Stop this, we had this conversation before, you’re staying until I’m certain you’re completely okay again” Emily said in a serious tone indicating that she no longer wished to proceed with that conversation “Are you going to the physiotherapy today?”

“Yes, then I’m going to have lunch with Wynonna” Nicole tried to get excited about that but her mood wasn’t the greatest

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m very thankful for Wynonna, she has been a very good friend for you and for us all this time, but I do not understand how you manage to stay friends with your ex’s sister” Emily took a sip of her coffee

“She’s my friend okay? And I’m not going to change everything in my life just because Waverly decided not to be in it anymore” Nicole wanted to sound strong and decided but her voice failed her when she mentioned the woman’s name

“You gotta move on, Nicole, it’s been four months” She said frustrated “Holding on to whatever delusional hope you have won’t do you any good, especially to recover from the accident. You gotta focus on yourself now, not on someone who abandoned you when you needed her the most”

“I’m going to take a shower, we’re not having this conversation now” Nicole got up and walked out of the kitchen as fast as she possibly could 

“We’re never going to have this conversation Nicole, not if you refuse to accept the fact that she’s not the person you thought she was” Emily walked by her side decided to have the conversation

“Please stop okay? I’m not ready to talk about it yet” Nicole said frustrated “You said i need to focus on my recovery so let me do that!” She watched as her sister stopped walking and gave up trying to bring up Waverly

Truth was, it had been almost four months since Nicole had last seen Waverly but every time the phone rang her heart skipped a beat and she had to remind herself how to breathe again because something inside of her still hang on to the hope that it would her calling, despite the fact that it never was. When she woke up at the hospital and found out that her girlfriend wasn’t there, her heart broke in a thousand little pieces, her life had become a nightmare and the person she wanted to spend her entire life with was nowhere to be found, but passed the initial reaction she tried to understand Waverly, and how her fatherly figure had died and how Nicole had almost died, but as time passed and it became clear that she wasn’t going to show up, the bodyguard had to convince herself to slowly start giving up hope. Nicole had had her fair share of losses and tragedies, both while she still was on the force and on her person life, and she learned that people react differently when faced with emotionally draining situations, sometimes they grew up and other times they got lost, some would cry and others would focus all of their attention to their jobs, there weren’t a receipt and there weren’t right and wrong reactions, furthermore an accident like that was the writer’s worst nightmare and Nicole understood that. She wanted to be mad, to be pissed, to blame the world and to hate Waverly for leaving her when she needed her support the most, but she just couldn’t feel anything other than the void that appeared on her chest almost four months earlier, and Nicole knew that something didn’t add up on that story and she just couldn’t move on without that understanding, that feeling of closure.

From waking up from her coma to getting her surgery to fix her knee to the most critical parts of her recovery, Nicole had spent two months in the hospital. Two months of waking up to a very loud Wynonna that would talk about pretty much everything, from the weather to her job and politics, and that would listen attentively as a nurse or a doctor stopped by the room to do check-ups or to brief them on the bodyguard health. Then the physiotherapist would spend about two or three hours on her room to work her muscles because that was medically necessary but also because Nicole desperately wanted to get back to her old life as soon as possible. Emily would stop by in the afternoon and would give her what she considered edible food, which pretty much meant anything other than hospital food, because that had always been her way of coping with difficult situations, their conversations were a little more intense because the woman always came with a notepad filled with questions from their worried parents back in Florida and she would always try to discuss Waverly. She would get other visitors as well, Gus stopped by every other day, even though she looked completely out of her comfort zone, which made Nicole think it was because of her job as Waverly’s manager, but that she learned after a slip from Wynonna was in fact a result of Shorty’s death. Dolls was another very awkward visitor and that was because of a multitude of reasons, for starters he was pissed that Nicole had decided to quit her job as his partner, than there was the fact that he was pretty much helping Waverly stay off the grid and to finish, he refused to tell her, and Wynonna, anything about the woman, although to be fair he swore it was in her best interest to just forget about her and move on. Lastly, she would attend a mandatory therapy to discuss the accident, her survivor's guilt and how to cope and deal with her life moving forward.

Wynonna picked her up the day she left the hospital and drove her home, well to her sister’s house anyways since the place she had gotten used to call home was now an empty room filled with memories of late night conversations, of endless movie nights fueled by pizza and ice cream and of passionate touches that felt like heaven. Needless to say that, despite her best friend’s attempt at changing the mood, she felt her heart breaking again and again and again every time she thought about her, and at some point missing Waverly became a part of her new routine, much like physiotherapy and psychologists.

/

Nicole parked at the restaurant twenty minutes before lunchtime, that was the first time she left the house for a social encounter after the accident and she was anxious, to say the least, and in addition to that, she was driving herself without Emily’s vigilante eyes for the first time in four months. Her sister had reluctantly lent her the car, terrified at the prospect of having the bodyguard driving again, and Nicole would’ve been lying if she said she wasn’t terrified as well or if she said that her heart didn’t speed up at every new turn, but she needed at least try to move on from her fears and get on with her life the best way she could. She entered the restaurant and was pleasant surprised when she found Wynonna sitting at the table drinking a glass of water, fifteen minutes early.

“Hello loser” Wynonna said excitedly “I thought you were going to stay in your car forever”

“You saw me?” Nicole asked truly surprised at the statement

“I parked next to you and saw you freaking out in your car” She said “Is everything okay or did something happen?”

“Everything considered, yes. It’s just my first time driving again” Nicole smiled tiredly

“You’ll get past this, don’t stress yourself too much okay? Take your time and things will slowly go back to normal” Wynonna said sincerely and the bodyguard knew she was talking from experience “Trust me”

“Okay” She took a deep breath, feeling infinitely better “So, how’s life?”

“My new job is very cool, I got the photography gig on Doc’s new film” Wynonna sounded really excited about the fact 

“Isn’t that like nepotism?” Nicole giggled and for the first time that day her mood was actually good and relaxed

“Don’t be a hater” Wynonna faked and offended tone “You’re my friend and you should be thrilled for me”

“I am” Nicole laughed “I truly am happy that you got the job purely because of your undeniable talent”

“Good” Wynonna smiled proudly of her win even though she knew her friends was being completely sarcastic

“I know we’re joking but I truly am happy for you. You were there for me when I needed the most and I couldn’t wish anything but the very best for you” Nicole said sincerely this time “You may never know how much your support meant to me and to my family, but I’ll never forget it, regardless of how the future presents itself for the both of us”

“Hey stop, I didn’t do anything” The photographer said “It’s what friends do”

“Yeah, they don’t leave” Nicole spilled the words before she could stop herself and the atmosphere immediately got heavy “I’m sorry”

“You don’t have to apologize to me” Wynonna said

“I have no right to put you in the middle of this mess, she’s your sister and I should be able to separate things” Nicole picked up the menu in an attempt to change the subject because the mere mention of the woman was enough to make her feel sick in her stomach

“You didn’t. Waverly did” Wynonna said

Nicole was decided not to think about Waverly, she was having a relatively good day and she wasn’t going to let the woman ruin it, she wasn’t going to allow herself to get sucked back into the mess that was her absence, to the missing, the anger and the disappointment, she just couldn’t bear to get her heart broken again. So she ordered her lunch and changed the topic, choosing to talk about pretty much anything other than that and Wynonna followed her lead. They ate their lunch in a confortable silence and the authentic Italian pasta was enough of a distraction to lighten up the mood a bit.

Wynonna had picked up on Nicole’s tells after spending so much time with her in the hospital therefore she had an almost unique ability to flow between topics of conversation until she found one that was pleasant for Nicole. The bodyguard had figure out this technique only a few days after she had woken up in the hospital because from the moment Wynonna opened the door and registered the frustrated look on her face to the moment she left, she would fill in every single second with talks about the most random topics she could think about, all because the photographer knew that the second she stopped talking she would be a walking reminder of her sister and she also knew that Nicole wasn’t yet ready to talk about her. And so Wynonna used the technique and the atmosphere was almost normal between them, wasn’t for the fact that the woman kept biting her lip and toying with her Greek necklace, a tell that Nicole had picked up as their friendship evolved, which was a clear indication that she was nervous about something.

“Your anxiety is distracting” Nicole said finally giving in to her curiosity “Just talk”

“I want to talk to you about something but I’m not quite sure you’re in a very good mood to this particular topic” Wynonna said unsure of how to proceed

“Is this about your sister?” Nicole asked and the photographer nodded “If you must”

“Waverly is back in town” Wynonna said without no kind of warning

“What? When? What happened?” Nicole was pretty shocked at the news and despite her decision to not let the woman break her heart again, she felt every piece she had worked so hard to glue back together falling apart once again

“Okay, so I was coming home with Doc last night and we were in the mood, in the zone you know and I was pretty much ready to take him to my bedroom and…” She said trying to make an awkward situation less terrible

“Less details please, just go straight to the point” Nicole said visibly annoyed

“Okay, fine. I came home last night and just found her there, in the living room” Wynonna decided she wasn’t going to sugarcoat the news or try to be funny to lighten up the mood

“This is, wow” Nicole tried to process the information “Good for you that your sister is back”

“Nicole look, I don’t want to step even further into this situation because I don’t see a position in which I’m not unfair to someone, or that i have to end up picking a side” She said calmly, giving the bodyguard time to process the situation

“But?” She said

“But I have to say it at least once even though you don’t want to hear it” Wynonna took a deep breath “I get why you’re angry and hurt, she left you when you needed her the most, but think from her point of view, everyone she loves ends up breaking her heart one way or another. Our mom left when she was three, than dad kept leaving until he died and I became this complete distant person and everyone around her that keeps toying with her emotions because of her fame”

“I know but…” Nicole wanted to present her case, to justify why there was no way in hell that what Waverly did was somehow acceptable and she wanted to be mad at Wynonna for even trying to do so, but she just couldn’t

“Let me finish please” Wynonna waited for Nicole to signal her to continue “Growing up with that kind of pattern changes someone and she doesn’t know how to deal with pain, so sometimes she sabotages herself, unconsciously or not, and end up screwing up the good things in her life, the things that actually had potential to break the pattern”

“I get it, I really do, but you need to understand she broke my heart” Nicole’s voice might have been calm but her brain was in overload 

“Yes I know, I’m not taking her side or anyone’s side here but if you could, um, not hate her” Wynonna tried

“I don’t hate her Wy, I just don’t know exactly what to feel” Nicole finally admitted what she had been hiding from everyone including herself for four months “What’s she doing back here anyways?”

“She has business to attend to” Wynonna said knowing full well that wasn’t the answer the other woman was hoping for “At least that’s what she told me”

“Oh”

She couldn’t lie, she was indeed disappointed, and that tiny bit of hope that still stubbornly fought to stay alive was once again breaking Nicole. She had spent four months convincing herself that Waverly running away was a self-protective response, that it had nothing to do with their relationship or nothing to do with running away from Nicole specifically, but learning that the woman was back in town for surely more than 24 hours without calling or texting her was more painful than she would’ve liked to admit. She saw Wynonna’s lips moving and she was certain the woman was still talking, but she just couldn’t process anything anymore because on that exact moment she knew she had nothing to fight for anymore, and even if some part of Waverly was still hers, Nicole wasn’t sure she was willing to fight for her anymore.

Nicole was so absorbed in her own thoughts that when her phone rang she didn't even bother reading the name of the screen before picking it up. The irony didn't pass unnoticed to her, how for four months she waited and hoped for Waverly to call and the call never came but on the second she decided that it was just simply too painful and futile to hope for it, the woman's voice appeared on the other side of the line. Waverly spoke and Nicole started moving before she could stop herself, the adrenaline was fueling her movements and numbing the rational part of her body that was desperately trying to stop her. She apologized to Wynonna before picking up her purse and walking towards her car, where she decided to throw her fears and traumas through the window and drive as fast as she could, after all it was Waverly calling. Nicole wished she could say her will hadn't wavered but as she drove through the streets that restlessly hunted her dreams she started to wonder why she was very much willing to put herself through all that pain and if it was worth it. 

Shorty's was pretty much desert, not a soul in sight, but as Nicole mechanically parked her car in the parking lot she could clearly picture how different the place was the last time she visited. Waverly had been working really hard on her book because the publishers were starting to get restless and were demanding to see any kind of progress, therefore she was really stressed out, so Nicole thought it was a good idea to get her one of Shorty's special coffees. She entered the cafe and was immediately embraced by the smell of freshly ground coffee mixed with his special spices such as vanilla and pepper, and she wasn't the only one who seemed taken aback by the pleasant smell, the establishment was packed with customers, a few of them with their coffee in hand, others in line and a small amount getting freaky with the free Wi-Fi connection. Nicole found the owner in the kitchen, a cup of Irish coffee in hand and a big smile on his face, and upon seeing the woman Shorty's smile grew even bigger and wider. But that was a distant memory and the reality couldn't be any more different, there was no smell of coffee, no vivid conversations, no writer's to be using the Wi-Fi, no Shorty, there was only Waverly sitting on a stool playing with the pins of her bracelet. 

"You came" she said without bothering to turn around

"You called" Nicole said although she was very much unsure on how to proceed

"I didn't think you'd come, I mean I hope you would but i wasn't sure" Nicole thought that Waverly was visibly nervous or maybe she had just mastered the Waverly body language guide

"Waverly" The name rolled out almost naturally of her lips but left a bitter taste on them "You said it was an emergency and that you needed me, so I'm here. What do you want?"

"You seem okay" Waverly tried

"Yeah, I'm not" Nicole felt very contradictory feelings, she felt butterflies twisting and turning in her stomach and she felt anger tensing up her muscles "What are you doing here Waverly?"

"I finished the book" Waverly took a sip of her water and breathed in deep

"Good for you" Nicole said "I finished my sixtieth physiotherapy session today" she said with venom in her words

"And is it working?" Despite how hard she was trying Waverly couldn't hide how awkward she felt 

"Emily says I'm doing much better" Nicole tried to keep her composure but the fake normalcy was killing her

"How's your sister?" Waverly traced her fingers through the little gun pin as she felt Nicole's eyes burning a hole on her back

"I'm not in the mood to chit chat with you, I came because you said it was an emergency but it clearly isn't so if you don't mind I'm going home to my family" Nicole bit her lips to control her frustration

"He left the cafe to me and I don't know what to do with it" Waverly finally turned around although she still couldn't look Nicole in the eyes "I don't know if I should reopen as it is, do a few renovations, or sell it. I don't know what to do and I started to hyperventilate and panic because I wanted to ask him his opinion and he's dead and I can't" Her words came out all at once and if Nicole wasn't paying attention she might have gotten lost “So I called”

"You can't do this Waverly" Nicole let her guard down "You can't act like this is normal because this isn't"

"I know" Waverly's voice was almost a whisper

"No you don't. You don't know Waverly" She wanted to show her anger and her frustration and disappointment but all in that moment Nicole was simply hurt "I'm not your bodyguard anymore, nor your friend. Let alone your girlfriend! So you can't do this" She wiped the first tear and took a deep breathe "If you want to talk to someone call your sister, call Dolls, I don't care, just don't call me"

"Nicole please wait" Waverly held Nicole by the arm and that was the first time she saw the scars of the accident "I don't want to be alone" 

"Get in the car, I'm going to take you to your sister" Nicole pulled her arm away from her hold and walked frustratedly towards the parking lot "You're her problem now"

Nicole didn't wait for Waverly to follow and she refused to look back to make sure the woman was keeping up, she wanted to be strong and firm and to show her she was okay, but the sharp pain on her knee was making it impossible and she had to slow it down and pay attention to her step. Nicole didn't want to feel the way she was feeling, she didn't want to admit that Waverly was still a big part of her life and she certainly didn't want to hope for a better future for them, but there she was, taking slow and careful steps towards her car, waiting to take Waverly home and doing everything she knew she shouldn't be doing. She felt every single feeling she bottled up for months fighting their way to the surface, she felt angry at Waverly for leaving, disappointed in her since she thought they were on the same page about her fears, guilty for Shorty's death, she felt sad for having to wake up alone every single day, frustrated for working so hard to get just a little progress and more than anything she felt love and adoration for the woman who played such an important role in her life. 

Nicole watched as Waverly locked up the cafe and walked towards the car, her uncertainty and anxiety were not only visible but palpable and Nicole felt her heart breaking at the sight of the woman she loved in distress. She grew up watching her parents’ endless displays of love and affection, she knew what real love was like and she had heard time after time how it felt to find the one and to love unconditionally, and young Nicole Haught desired that more than anything. She wanted to find her “one and only” and to live her version of a fairytale and for long and perfect months she did, she knew Waverly was the one for her but their relationship was clearly nothing like a fairytale, not when on every turn someone was getting hurt. Nicole also grew up learning to be kind and sweet and understanding, to try and protect people and to make them smile, and she found herself doing the complete opposite of that right to the person she technically wasn’t supposed to. To say the least, the bodyguard's mind and heart were in overload and the more she leaned towards love or hate, the more her heart broke. 

As soon as Waverly got in the car, the bodyguard put the keys in the ignition and started to drive towards her former home. She saw the writer through her peripheral vision playing with the bracelet and wondered what was going through her mind and heart, wondered what she had been up to for the past four months, wondered how she was doing and wondered why she left in the first place. She had gone through the options many, many times but never reached a conclusion because the person that left wasn't her Waverly, wasn't the Waverly she could read like a receipt, it was someone completely different. They had been in the car for less than five minutes and Nicole just couldn't take it anymore, she pulled over the car and forced the writer to look her in the eyes

"Why did you leave?" Nicole didn't care if her voice was cracking already

"I couldn't stay" Waverly said honestly

"But why? I needed you" Nicole felt the unwanted tears starting to form in her eyes once again

"You don't understand" She sighted knowing that was a futile attempt to deviate the conversation

"Please enlighten me then!" She didn't feel anything other than honest curiosity

"Shorty died Nicole" Waverly said 

"I was there! I know he died" Nicole said desperately trying to hold on to something she didn't know what was 

"I know you were" Waverly said without much fuss and with that Nicole assumed her worst fear was true

"You blamed me" She felt her insides burning "Of course you did, I was the one riding the motorcycle and I was supposed to keep him safe, get him home, of course you blamed me" Nicole started talking so fast she didn't allow Waverly a window to interrupt "That's just like Paris all over again, but this time even I blamed myself because he was Shorty and he was important to you"

"Nicole stop!" Waverly pleaded but it didn't seem to work

"And this is so unfair because I actually did care for him as well!" Nicole felt her head starting to ache but the words seemed to have a life of their own "Do you know what was the last thing he said to me was? He said he was really glad that you had finally found someone that loved you as much I did and that he was certain I was the one for you. He said he was thankful for me showing up in your life because for the first time he knew he could trust someone to look after you. He said that I had his blessing and that all he asked for was a chance to walk you down the aisle and give you to me"

"Please stop, I didn't blame you" Waverly yelled "I blamed me okay? My birthday, my party. Me. I'm the constant variable in all of this"

"And you had to run away because of that? Run away when everyone needed you?" Nicole was absolutely perplexed by Waverly's attempt to justify her absence

"I just couldn't stay okay?" Waverly said and her tone showed how tired and hurt she was “I was afraid of losing everything and everyone that matter the most to me”

"You're unbelievable" Nicole actually laughed

“What?” The writer surely was confused at that moment

“This is such bullshit, Waverly” The redhead said after she managed to control her laughter “You’re always living inside your own head, for better and for worse. You’re not a beacon of sadness and suffering, that’s just life, but you got it tattooed inside your head that you’re somewhat toxic and that everyone you touch will eventually be destroyed, guess what, not everyone not me”

“It’s pretty clear to me that our relationship is destroyed” Waverly said sadly

“Because you sabotaged it when you walked away” Nicole said angrily because at that moment she realized Waverly actually believed they were doomed from day one

“I was afraid! I was terrified of losing you!” Waverly shouted

“You were afraid?” The bodyguard was once again hit by all the feelings she’d hiding “Guess what?! I was afraid too! I was in the ICU for three weeks, I couldn’t walk and I couldn’t breathe on my own. I almost died! And I was terrified and alone” Nicole felt the first tear escaping her eyes and soon enough her vision was blurry 

“You had Wynonna” Waverly said as she tried to wipe Nicole’s face but was stopped before she could do it

“And you think it was easy for her? Having to go to the hospital every day and desperately try to distract me from the fact that I had suffered a major accident and that my girlfriend was nowhere to be found” Nicole couldn’t hide her anger anymore “And do you think it was easy for her to have to deal with Shorty’s death on her own? She needed her sister, her family!”

“I know” she said lowering her eyes

“I don’t know why you called me but I can’t do this, I can’t ignore the fact that you don’t even feel guilty for leaving” She breathed in and out a few times “Please, get out of the car, I can’t do this and I don’t want to hurt anymore, I just have to move on”

“Nicole you can’t leave me here alone” Waverly said frustrated and although Nicole saw that the woman immediately regretted her words the bodyguard was too angry to let it go

“I can’t leave you? Really?” That was the last straw for Nicole “Get out”

“Nicole I’m so…” Waverly tried to say

“Get out!”

Waverly slowly got out of the car, her reluctance was visible both of her verbal attempts to change the bodyguard’s mind and on her unwillingness to move fast but Nicole refuse to take it back, choosing to keep her eyes locked to the road. She hit the gas the second the writer closed the door but as soon as the car started moving, she couldn’t stop herself form looking through the rearview mirror to Waverly’s reflection.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> only one more chapter to go and then the epilogue, i'm not emotionally ready to say goodbye to this story :'(


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi folks! Thank you for your feedback on the last chapter, i can see why most of you are having a hard time decing if you should or shouldnt kill me, i hope this chapter helps! Feel free to live your comments because i always look forward to them, and hit me up on tumblr itsalltoo. This is the last one, next monday i'll upload the epilogue and thenthis story will be over :(

15.

The writer had returned from hiding only twenty four hours earlier and she had already managed to worsen her situation with her ex-girlfriend. Possibly for the first time in forever, Waverly had absolutely no idea how to convey her feelings and so the more she tried to start a conversation, the more she found herself tripping over her own tongue and saying all the wrong words. She genuinely wanted to know how Nicole was doing, how she was dealing with her recovery, what was going on through her mind and how she was going through her days, but the only thing she managed to learn was that it was impossible to stop the pain from a wound you have caused.

Waverly knew she shouldn't have run, that was a certainty that weighted on her heart every single day. She should've taken the car and driven to the hospital, she should've stayed by Nicole's bed and she should've gone to Shorty's funeral, but the second she heard the news, it was like a switch had been turned off inside of her. Whether it was a self-protective action or a self-sabotage she couldn't quite tell, but for a second there, running away meant not having to deal with the reality and, but in that moment it meant only a lot of unwanted and unexpected pain.

Waverly was quite sure she knew how Nicole felt because she too had been in a similar position when after losing her father and almost losing her sister, she had to deal with Wynonna becoming distant, cold and detached and, for long months, the writer had to learn how to deal with her own loneliness when all she wanted was to not have to deal with that pain alone. However, while she stood in the middle of the road, watching as Nicole drove off without looking back she realized that she didn't in fact know how the woman felt.

While she sat alone in the pavement waiting for her new ride to show up, Waverly replayed the troubled conversation she had had with Nicole to try and understand all the information she had gathered. The first thing she truly knew was that Nicole had no visible issues resulting from the accident, aside from the difficulty to walk and the scar on her arm. It was obvious that she wouldn't look at all like the same person she once was, but given what could've happened, she had gotten pretty lucky because those issues should be fixable, and if even they weren't, Nicole was a tenacious person and she would learn how to adjust her life to them. The last thing about her looks that Waverly added to the list was how beaten down Nicole seemed, the dark circles under her eyes were scary and she looked much thinner than Waverly remembered. However, what had really caught the writer's attention was how emotionally drained she was, from the moment she stepped in on the cafe Waverly noticed how Nicole was trying with everything in her to look cool, to hide the truth, to hide how traumatized, hurt, scared, lonely and guilty she felt, and in that moment, the Earp woman realized that all of those emotional traumas were directly caused, or heightened, by her absence. The seemingly obvious conclusion took Waverly by surprise and right there she knew she didn’t deserve to be forgiven, but at the same time she knew she would do everything in her power to make up for all of that pain, regardless of their relationship status. She didn’t have much time to figure out a plan because Wynonna was pulling over with her tremendously indiscreet truck.

"Do you wanna tell me what you're doing alone in the middle of the road?" Wynonna asked tiredly, as the writer closed the door

"I went to Shorty's" Waverly confessed

"Alone? How did that go?" The photographer asked

"Not well, too many memories" She shrugged her shoulders in an attempt to minimize the weight of her words

"Yeah, I went there after the accident to gather a few of his things" Wynonna stopped talking for a while and the writer noticed how sad her sister looked "If it weren't for Doc I don't think I would've been able to actually do it" 

"And you didn't come back after?" Waverly asked curiously

"I didn't exactly wanted to come back, and I was kind of very busy" The photographer held her tongue but Waverly knew just what she was talking about

"Yes I know" She swallows hard "You stood by her bedside everyday"

"Dolls told you this?" Wynonna asked curiously, unsure of where that piece of information had come from since they hadn't had a proper conversation in almost four months

"No, I don't really think he wanted to talk to me, he did her job making sure I was okay but that was it" Waverly said without much fuss "Not much of a chit chatter"

"So how do you know?" Wynonna asked

"Nicole told me" Waverly noticed her sister's shocked eyes on her and hurried to explain herself "I called her today and asked her to meet me at Shorty's so we could talk. As you can assume by the fact that you picked me up in the middle of the road, the talk didn't go so well"

"You have got to be kidding me" Wynonna couldn't control her frustration anymore "You were the reason why she looked like a ghost at lunch today"

"You guys were having lunch?" Waverly asked strangely surprised

"Let me tell you a little thing" The photographer took her eyes off the road just long enough to make sure her sister was paying attention "If you want to apologize to someone whose heart you broke every day for four months, you have to be way more thoughtful and way less selfish" She giggled nervously "You don't apologize by screwing up her mind and heart even more"

"I wasn't trying to, I was just trying to have a private conversation" Waverly said in a mix of sadness, disappointment and frustration "I'm pretty sure no one is willing to intervene on my behalf so I had to get creative" 

"Still, your head could've been filled with good intentions but you chose to do that in a place that hunts her dreams every night" Wynonna said in a malcontented tone "You gotta get your head in the game Waverly. Fuck" she said ending the conversation 

They spent the rest of the drive home in a comfortable silence, Wynonna taking extra caution on the road while Waverly observed those houses and the trees that always seemed to point her home. In that particular moment, the writer noticed something very important, that the road that she had driven by so many times before, that had witnessed her on happy moments when she knew she had a family to run to, on her sad moments when she'd desperately seek for a familiar shoulder to cry on, on her successful moments when she celebrated with a lot of Irish coffee and on her most disappointing moments, when she knew she’d find a warm cup of coffee waiting for her, that simple yet so special road was now only bringing her nostalgia and sadness. One moment was enough to change a road and its meaning for good, and one moment was enough to change her life forever.

/ 

Waverly woke up at five in the morning with her phone ringing, and maybe it was the fact that she had spent four months with it turned off or the fact that she truly wished everything was just a bad joke, but she opened her eyes in shock and forced her muscles to work as fast as they could to answer it, in hopes it was Nicole on the other side of the call. Needless to say that Waverly was very frustrated when Dolls started talking about the writer's schedule for the day. She laid in bed for a little longer, thinking about everything and nothing at the same time, until she decided to take a lucky shot and text Nicole, nothing too complex or demanding, just a small text wishing her a great day and telling her to call if she needed anything. Waverly didn't want to hope for an answer, but throughout the day she caught herself checking her phone for answers more times than she would've liked to admit.

The writer took a shower to try and relax for the very stressful day ahead of her and to try and get her mind away from Nicole, which proved to be somewhat helpful. She walked towards the kitchen but was forced to stop as soon as she entered the living room because there she saw the most unlikely scene she could possibly think of. The television was on even though no one was paying attention to it, Doc was resting peacefully with his legs entangled with Wynonna's, who rested her head on his chest while both of them slept deeply. Waverly smiled at the scene, knowing full well that they had fallen asleep like that while trying to watch a film or something on TV, and she remembered all those times she and Nicole had done the same thing, and her smile grew even bigger and brighter. She would've stayed there reminiscing about the good old times but something in that picture caught her attention, the ring on Wynonna's finger, the classic styled ring craved with beautiful small diamonds, the ring that meant only one thing, that somewhere in the previous four months, Doc got down in one knee and proposed to Miss Party Girl Wynonna Earp and she said yes. Waverly felt happy for her sister, but ultimately she was just sad because of all the things she had missed while she was gone. 

Not wanting to disturb the peace and quiet of the lovely couple, Waverly picked up her purse and got out of the apartment, choosing to eat breakfast on her way to the publishing company. She was sipping on her second cup of coffee when they parked in front of the high class glass building downtown, she was starting to feel the caffeine kicking in when the secretary led her to the room where the meeting was being held and she was wishing desperately for either more coffee or way less coffee as she listened to the publishing team talking excitedly about their plans for the first week of sale, the publishing tour and pretty much every single thing related to the newly finished book. Waverly certainly dozed off after a few minutes of business talk, returning her attention back to the room only when everyone started to say their farewells, leaving her alone with Gus.

"I suppose you have a lot to say to me" Waverly said

"Yes, you have to decide how you want the book cover and how you want the tour, I'm sure you weren't paying attention to the discussion before" She smiled

"You are right, I didn't" Waverly giggled "but I wasn't talking about that"

"I know, but we don't have to talk about that" Gus started to gather her things "It's water under the bridge"

"You guys need to stop cutting me some slack and start holding me responsible for what I did" Waverly said mildly frustrated

"We're not cutting you any slack, not me at least" Gus said

"I walked away from all of you" The writer stated

"Yeah well, I'm your friend and your employee, it's not like you failed me" the manager said "you know, you need to stop looking for reasons to feel guilty and start trying to make up for the ones that already do exist, they clearly have been bugging you" 

"What?" Waverly asked confused

"You are a very honest person Waverly, you have never been able to hide your emotions" Gus gave a sympathetic and understanding smile

"I tried talking to Nicole yesterday, it didn't go so well" Waverly confessed

"And so you just gave up?" Gus arched an eyebrow

"What am I supposed to do? I'm a walking reminder of what happened" the writer said sadly

"Don't flatter yourself, Nicole has a lot of reminders of the accident, you're just another one of them" she said nonchalantly "The past is in the past, you can only change the future and for that to happen, you have to be willing to work very hard to get what you want, who you want"

"That's great advice actually" Waverly smiled "Thank you"

"Don't worry, I'm just doing my job" Gus winked "I need you to be at the top of your game for your VIP reading next week"

"Of course" Waverly said already outside the room

She said her farewells and took the elevator back to the garage level where she found Dolls already waiting in the car. The man welcomed her with a cordial nod before turning on the radio so the music could fill in the awkward silence that always seem to set in between them whenever they were alone. Although they haven't spoken about what happened she knew that the man who once held her in high standards, had started to see her differently after the accident. Everything started when she decided to run away to his cabin and made him promise not to disclose her location to anyone, using the nda as a way to assure his compliance should it had proved necessary, so it's needless to say that he wasn't thrilled with the situation. It just got worse as he had to watch Wynonna grow more and more preoccupied with Waverly's whereabouts and it reached its lowest point when Nicole decided to quit her job forcing him to get a new partner. Although the writer was decided to make amends with everyone she had hurt during her absence, she knew there wasn't much she could do about him other than give it time and show him she was putting a lot of effort into becoming a better person.

/ 

_“Willa sat on the couch feeling every molecule in her body aching. After years of dealing with the curse, with her absent and problematic father, with revenants trying to kill her and her friends at every turn, she was finally free. And she knew she had been in that position a few times before, of being certain it was over when in fact she was nowhere near done with being the Heir, but that time was the real deal. She had defeated every single one of the villains, inside and out of Purgatory, she had bled, sweated and cried, she had watched friends turn into enemies and villains turn into allies, she had failed more times than she would care to admit and she had faced victories that didn’t feel so good, all so she could savour that moment. She was no longer the Heir, she was just a woman with all of her future in front of her._

_She looked around at the homestead. The walls were covered in bullet holes and the furniture was pretty much wracked, there were burn marks on every other corner and an expressive amount of blood on the floor. Right outside the front door Constance’s body laid dead and by her side her army of undead-now-dead magical creatures. Willa took in every inch of that scene, feeling mixed up emotions from happiness, because it was all over, to sadness, for having destroyed her childhood home, to relief, for noticing how, despite the many, many injuries, her allies were all still standing. The few minutes in which she stood inside the house were more than enough to make her come up with a very detailed plan on what to do moving forwards, for starters she would pick up a gallon of gas and burn down the homestead, taking all the memories, good and bad, with it. Then Willa would bury the gun with Ward, who despite being a troubled guy, to say the least, tried very hard to avoid passing on the curse to his child. Lastly she would get her in car and drive far, far away from Purgatory. Henry appeared in the corner of her eyes already carrying the matches and she surely was thankful for the man and for everything he had done to help her through her journey, but moving forward had to mean going on her own and, getting rid of everything tying her up to the past, was something that needed to be done by her, and her alone. She smiled at him knowing full well that he would understand the situation, but also that he would never be further than one phone call and he would always be by her side should she need it._

_The first flame started to grow, involving every inch of the homestead, turning it all into ashes, and as the fire reflected in her eyes Willa remembered something she had heard at some point during her crusade, she was a dysfunctional hero, but a hero nevertheless, the one she was always meant to be even when she couldn’t believe it herself. In that moment, knowing that she had done her job she felt for the first time like a hero”_

That book saga had been a huge part of her life, at times it was a reflection of how she saw herself, her family and her friends, and at other times it was simply a way to cope with her day to day life and its struggles, but either way she became a completely different person with the progression of Purgatory and she was very thankful for being blessed with such a warm welcome from the public and the critics. So when Waverly closed the book and the VIP crowd started to clap their hands ferociously, the writer had to take a deep breath to control the urge to cry because of the overwhelming wave of emotions that were hitting her. She was wandering around the audience wanting to thank every single one of them for going to the cafe on a Wednesday afternoon just to listen to her story, when she saw Wynonna sitting on a stool by the far end of the store, she smiled at her sister and as soon as she finished thanking the remaining public she walked towards the former party girl.

“I didn’t know you’d be here” Waverly confessed

“You did send me an invitation” Wynonna pointed out

“Still, I wasn’t sure you were going to come” She smiled happily “I’m glad you did”

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world, baby girl” Wynonna winked “Also, I didn’t get to read it before everyone else so I think it was only fair if I got my own copy before the general public did”

“How did you like it?” The writer bit her lip expectantly

“Amazing! I was terrified that you might end up killing Willa because she was a bit of a bitch sometimes, but I’m glad she’s alive” Wynonna said excitedly “And having her finally accepting the fact that she’s flawed, imperfect and messy and still the hero, oh that was awesome, well done sis”

“No one is perfect, but we all deserve a happy ending don’t we?” Waverly asked sincerely

“Yes we do” Wynonna smiled brightly not noticing the double meaning of her sister’s words “And I must say, I’m impressed you didn’t finish the story with Willa and Henry together, it’s a great example for little girls everywhere, it’s great that you get to show them that they can be very successful, badass and happy without needing a man by their side”

“Said the girl with an engagement ring” Waverly pointed out

“Oh yes, that” Wynonna suddenly became very aware of the elephant in the room “It happened while you were gone”

“Yes, I figured” She said simply

“I’m sorry I forgot to tell you, it just happened naturally and you weren’t responding to my texts so I just decided to tell you when you returned but then I forgot” Wynonna toyed with the ring before continuing “I’m sorry” 

“You really don’t have to apologize to me, I’m just very, very glad to see you happy” Waverly said sadly “I’m sorry I wasn’t here to see this, and to support you when things got hard. I know you needed me and I was gone and I know I can never make up for that but I’d like to try, and start with an I’m sorry”

“Waverly, it’s already forgiven and forgotten” Wynonna pulled her sister in for an atypical hug “You’re my sister, you’re my family, there’s nothing that you can do that will make me not forgive you. I love you sis, unconditionally” 

“I love you too” Waverly felt a little weight being lifted off her shoulders

“Now let me put you up to speed on everything you missed while you were gone” Wynonna said before taking a deep breath and starting her tale

Waverly came to learn that the proposal had been very simple and yet sweet and romantic. After spending a whole day in the hospital with Nicole, Wynonna had called Doc and asked him to pick her up so they could grab dinner together because she didn’t want to be alone in the apartment. He had taken her to a small Italian dinner uptown where he liked to eat whenever he felt overwhelmed and stressed, he said that the food tasted like home and love and it always made him feel better, like there was nothing in the world that could destroy him. Wynonna confessed that in that moment, she envisioned them together on their 60’s eating a classic spaghetti Bolognese at that very dinner and she knew that despite of how the public knew him, she had found the person she wanted by her side on her happy and on her sad moments. And to her surprise Doc got down on one knee, pulled the box out of his coat and proposed to her right there, saying on his speech the same thing she had realized mere seconds earlier, that he had finally found his partner. Wynonna told her that they weren’t in a hurry to get married, but that she should be moving in with him within a month, and Waverly felt nothing but pure and honest happiness for her sister. 

The writer also learned that Gus had taken care of the funeral and of every single medical bill regarding the accident, including the ones from Lou, who she found out was the car’s driver but had no blame on the accident which was caused by a mechanical failure. The manager had also started dating a guy named Curtis and they seemed to be getting along just fine. Wynonna told her sister how she had gotten a job at Doc’s new movie and how she was super excited to start the actual production, which would take place in Scotland and would last about three months. Waverly noticed how her sister talked animatedly about everything, but tried to stay away from anything regarding Nicole and she wondered if that happened because her sister didn’t want to upset the writer or because she didn’t think it was fair to the bodyguard to disclose her life with her ex-girlfriend, either way as Wynonna proceed to telling Waverly everything she had missed the writer felt some sort of normalcy between them and she was thankful for her sister’s big and understanding heart.

Waverly listened as her sister talked animatedly for hours, stopping only when her fiancé picked her up so they could grab lunch and go apartment hunting. Observing them together made the writer smile, they were the most unlikely couple ever, they were completely different, weren’t for their love for partying and cinema and still they looked at each other like they had seen the most precious piece of art in a museum, so much love and devotion in a simple action, and Waverly thought that if they could make it work, maybe, just maybe there was a chance that she could fix it with Nicole. She didn’t know exactly what fueled her to get in her car and drive towards her house but she had a strong felling it was a result of everything that was going through her head for the past week, she knew she wanted to make it up for all of them and she knew that Nicole was the person she had hurt the most, possibly beyond repair, but still she had to try and if there was a chance of their love being strong enough she would very much like to try.

She rang the bell filled with confidence but as time passed and the answer didn’t come she started to think of all the reasons why her doing that was simply wrong and selfish, for starters Nicole clearly didn’t want anything to do with her, she had stated that when they met a week earlier and had reinforced that by not responding to her daily texts, where Waverly would wish her a good day and send positive vibes, and then there was the fact that she was barging on her house unexpectedly with nothing but a quickly designed apologizing speech. Waverly was about to turn around and ditch her plan when the teenager opened the door.

“Oh, hello Kiersten” Waverly said suddenly feeling very dumb for not considering the possibility that the other people living in the house could be there

“Hi” The teenage girl said awkwardly “What are you doing here?”

“Un, I came to see your aunt, is Nicole here?” The writer asked just as awkwardly

“No, she’s at the physiotherapy clinic. She spends the whole afternoon there” Kiersten said nonchalantly “Would you like to come in and wait? Or leave a note or something?”

“No, no. It’s okay” Waverly tried to smile politely “I guess I’ll come back another time then, thank you Kiesrten” she turned on her hills and started to walk towards her car

"Wait!” The girl yelled

“Yes?” Waverly stopped and returned her attention the Nicole’s niece

“Did you ever love her?" Kiersten asked point blank

"I still do" Waverly said without even having to think about it

"Then why did you leave?" The young teenager asked

"It's complicated" Waverly returned to her defensive stand feeling very attacked

"It actually is pretty simple, you're there for the ones you love and you weren’t" Kiesrten shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly

"I'm a mess" Waverly confessed "I knew from the moment I got the news that I should have picked up my things and moved in to her hospital room to be by her side, but I didn't want to face it" she took a deep breath "Facing that would make it all real and I wasn't ready to have a dead friend and an almost dead girlfriend"

"And just now you've decided you're ready to face it?" The girl asked curiously “Four months later?”

"No" The writer suddenly felt very self-conscious about confessing everything to a thirteen year old "I knew I had to come back after two or three days, I knew there was no way I could make it all go away so I had to face it. And I did, but how do you come back after screwing up so badly?" Waverly asked rhetorically

"You were ashamed" The perceptive Haught girl noticed the unspoken word

"Yes!" Waverly let out the air she didn't know she was holding "I was ashamed to come back because I know what I did was unforgivable. And so I tried to find the best time, to figure out the best way to return, to find out a way to fix this, but the more I thought the more time passed and the more embarrassed I was to come back"

"So why did you come back then?" Kiersten asked

"Because I had to see how she was even if it meant seeing it by a distance, I just had to make sure she was okay, even if she didn’t’ want me around" Waverly confessed

"Your timing truly sucks" The girls giggled softly "And you surely should've come back sooner, but I don't think what you did is unforgivable, I mean I see your point" She said honestly "And I’m pretty sure everyone see it as well. Maybe, I mean just maybe it's a matter of time and effort"

"I hope you're right kiddo" The writer smiled tiredly “And I’m going to try my best to make it up for her”

She had driven to the house wishing to see Nicole and imagining that the speech she had prepared on the thirty minute drive would be enough to win her back but instead she had found the bodyguard’s niece who had unintentionally pointed the writer in the right direction, showing her that it was okay to have hope and to try and reach that imaginary scenario, but that it would take a lot more than just the bare minimum. That meeting and everything about had truly been unexpected. That was a thirteen year old girl who seemed way more sensible and down to earth than Waverly, a girl who had enough empathy to actually understand the writer’s reasons for running away and taking so long to come back, who had enough strength to defend her aunt’s heart from the person who broke it and who just knew that Waverly needed some sort of indication that there was still hope, because the writer wanted for nothing other than a simple chance to make things right. The writer giggled to herself, impressed at how much that unexpected encounter had changed her mood, truly the best things in life are the surprises it throws at people, and Waverly wasn’t about to ignore that.

She sat in car for a few long minutes, observing the house she had visited not a few times, a house that was filled with memories from Nicole’s childhood. As she did so, she remembered the second time she went to visit the Haughts, Emily had invited her, Wynonna and Doc for lunch on a Sunday so they would spend the whole day together, getting to know each other a little better and learning to adjust their lives to the new family and friends. At some point during the afternoon Emily had appeared with an old photo album from their childhood that documented to smallest details Nicole’s obsession with being a police officer, from the tiny hat and the tiny gun holster to all the fake emergency calls her parents had come up with through the years to entertain their daughter’s passion. Waverly remembered clearly how she had felt that day, the Haughts and the Earps couldn’t be more different but still they were all enjoying a lovely Sunday afternoon together, laughing at Nicole’s expense like a real family does, and in that moment Waverly was certain that if she ever wanted to get married and have kids, that would happen with Nicole.

And so Waverly took the road back to the city, decided to be more proactive and more participative, to stop moping in a corner and waiting for Nicole to eventually forgive her so they could try and restart their live together. Not wanting to be too visible so she could use the element of surprise to her advantage, she parked outside the physiotherapy clinic and simply waited for Nicole to be done with her session. Waverly took advantage of her very creative mind and while time passed she came up with an almost infinite number of scenarios in her head, most of which ended up with her being left alone once again, but she wasn’t about to give up, not when the love of her life was in the line, and so she waited and waited, and came up with plans after plans and then waited some more. Every single one of her plans had one common denominator, Waverly would proceed with caution and would be very careful in making her presence known so she wouldn’t scare the other woman, but as soon as Nicole opened the clinic’s door and started to leave the building, adrenaline started pumping on Waverly’s veins and every plan went out the window.

“What are you doing here?” Nicole said without hesitation as soon as she noticed the flushed woman walking towards her

“I came to see you” Waverly stated simply, trying to keep her composure

“Why?” The bodyguard looked at her suspiciously, searching for any indication of what was going on

“Because I love you, and I care about you and it’s killing me to not be a part of your life anymore, to not be able to take care of you and to watch you get better and better” Waverly said in one breath 

“Waverly please don’t do this” Nicole pleaded with a broken smile

“Okay, I need to do the thing, so just please let me talk and if by the end you still don’t want to look at me, I’ll go, I promise you won’t ever see me again” Waverly said without being able to hide her sadness at the prospect 

“Okay, talk” Nicole said in a serious tone that made it almost impossible for Waverly to read her emotions

“I love you and I know you love me too or maybe did before I fucked up, and I can’t let myself believe that it’s over” Waverly took a deep breath before continuing “I did the worst thing imaginable and I know that, I’m well aware of my mistake, and I’ve been beating myself up every day for the past four months because of that”

“I know, I heard you and Kiersten talking” Nicole confessed to Waverly’s surprise “In her defense, I told her not to say anything”

“Oh okay. Then you know what happened” Waverly continued “I’m a mess and you have no obligation to forgive me, I wouldn’t forgive me if I were in your position but that’s it, you’re better than me. I fell in love with you because you are strong, smart, kind and beautiful, but more than that, I fell in love with you because you made me want to be better” She continued to search on Nicole’s eyes for any indication of how she was feeling “And if there’s anything inside of you that wants to give me another chance, know that I won’t disappoint you, I’ll never run again, I’ll never be anything other than my best for you, because I truly do love you and my life is empty without you in it” Waverly finished

“Waverly” Nicole said after a few long seconds “What I feel or don’t feel for you it’s unimportant. I have forgiven you already, I understand why you did what you did and I know you actually believe you won’t ever do that again, but I’ve seen you do it when I needed you the most, I know you Waverly.”

“I can try to do better” Waverly said sadly

“No you can’t. The Waverly that I know is too afraid of getting hurt and losing people to not run away when things get too much. I’m sorry Wave” Nicole said and started to walk away

Waverly broke. In that exact moment Waverly felt her heart breaking in ten thousand pieces right in front of her eyes, because there was nothing she could say or do that could make Nicole give her another chance, and she understood that. She understood her reasons so completely that she watched as the love of her life walked away from her, keeping her promise of letting her go. That was the woman that grew up wanting to protect people, to keep everyone safe and sound and not hurting, that was the woman who always tried to do right by everyone and Waverly had failed her, but more than that, Waverly had put Nicole is a complicated position, of hating the woman she loved, and every time she came back and said those words Waverly broke her heart more and more. That endless cycle of heartbreaks, of excessive love, of guilt and pain, that was the unforgivable part.

But as she watched Nicole walk away Waverly replayed every single one of their moments in her head, the moment they met in the Earp penthouse when she was wearing her very inappropriate pajamas, their first date when Nicole gave her the smile she kept in store only to Waverly and the world finally felt right, their first kiss and their first time when she could’ve sworn she started seeing new colours, more bright colours in the world. Waverly replayed one moment in special in her mind, the first time Nicole confessed her love, inside Shorty’s after a family lunch, that day that three little words that had been spoken in gestures and actions so many times before started a whole new conversation between them, those three words that meant much more than a simple feeling, it meant promises and expectations, and it pointed them towards a future of happiness and hope. Their love story played was tattooed in her brain and she wouldn’t have changed one single thing, because even if she had loved and lost, it was ultimately better than to have spent her life without knowing that love at all.

Her heart was heavy and her eyes were struggling to contain the river of tears that threatened to escape. But as she replayed all those moments in her head, she saw Wynonna telling her how it is to love unconditionally and how family works, and she knew she loved Nicole without buts, ands or ifs, and that woman was the one she envisioned her future with. She saw Gus telling her to fight for what she wanted, to never stop fighting if the one she wanted was worth it of all the trouble, and Nicole was worth everything. She saw Kiersten, and Dolls, and Shorty, and everyone telling her not to give up and she replayed their conversation in her head she noticed something on Nicole’s words that she probably didn’t mean intentionally but that restored at least a little bit of the writer’s hope, and for someone who had nothing, that little bit of hope was enough to fuel her next moves. The writer ran towards Nicole’s car, reaching her just when the woman was about to hit the gas and leave the parking lot 

“Hi” Waverly said completely out of breath “My name is Waverly Earp”

“What?” Nicole said unsure of how to proceed

“I’m Waverly Earp, I’m a writer and I own a small cafe downtown” She continued “I have a crazy family and a weird past. I’m terrified of getting my heart broken and losing the people I love. Sometimes I sabotage myself and end up pushing the people I love away but I’ve been trying to change that”

“Waverly what are you doing?” Nicole giggled feeling completely lost in the conversation and the sound warmed Waverly’s heart more than she would care to admit

“Okay, you said you can’t trust the Waverly you know to not run away anymore so I’m presenting to you a new me” Waverly confessed “Can I continue?”

“Okay…” The bodyguard said unable to hide how entertained she was

“I lost someone very dear to me four months ago and ever since that I’ve been working very hard in moving past my insecurities and fears because I don’t want to hurt the people that I love anymore. It’s a work in progress but I’m sure I can overcome those fears given the time” Waverly smiled when she noticed that Nicole was in fact paying attention to what she was saying “You don’t know me yet, but I’d like to buy you a cup of coffee, no strings attached, and maybe, just maybe you’ll learn to see me as someone you can love and trust” Waverly finished and held her breathe, knowing full well that it was her last chance

“Coffee sounds good” Nicole smiled


	16. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is very long damn it, i hope you guys like this chapter and that it makes justice to the rest of the story. I'll wrtie some more at the end, so without further ado here's the final chapter

16.

Waverly walked to their table slowly, she was restless, her mind traveling at light speed, playing multiple scenarios in her head at the same time. If she was being honest, the drive to the café hadn’t been exactly easy, she had gone through the speech about a thousand times and she kept finding flaws in it, and for a writer who had to present one of her best works, she thought she was failing epically. The waiter gave them the menus and moved on to her next table as Waverly simply sat there, trying to keep her composure and to not freak out, but the more she tried to find her chill the more impatient she got. Nicole looked at her with inquisitive eyes and Waverly couldn’t help but frenetically start bouncing her legs up and down under the table feeling very inadequate.

The writer watched as Nicole carefully analyzed the menu, animatedly pointing out a few interesting choices, and she couldn’t help the giggle that came out of her lips. They had been to that café countless times before and the former bodyguard would always do the same thing and then she would end up picking up the vanilla cappuccino anyways, but it was one of Nicole’s things and Waverly surely did love everything about the woman, so when the waiter came back and she in fact ordered the vanilla cappuccino, the writer thought it was nothing other than simply adorable. Waverly replayed her speech in her head once more before sitting up straight and taking Nicole’s hands in hers, she took a deep breath and finally gathered enough courage to speak

“So, here we are” She tried to look confident

“Yes” Nicole giggled and Waverly wondered what was going through her head

“Wynonna texted me last night” Waverly said

“How’s Scotland?” Nicole asked curiously

“Like she hasn’t been texting you every day” The writer teased

“I can’t tell if you’re jealous of me or of your sister” She teased “I really can’t tell”

“C’mon, I don’t need to be jealous of you, I’m at the top of my game” Waverly teased back “I even joined a gym! Like you would give me up”

“Fine, fine” Nicole laughed “But why did she text you?”

“To tell me that the last of her stuff were delivered to her house this morning! Finally!” Waverly said excitedly

“I can’t believe it took them six months to move in to the apartment” Nicole pointed out “And they haven’t moved in yet, just their stuff since they’re still filming. They’re unbelievably slow”

“Agreed, but that’s not the important part babe, focus please” Waverly said “The point is, now the penthouse is all mine!”

“Oh yes, that’s exciting” Nicole finally seem to match Waverly’s excitement “You should change the locks so you can have all the privacy you want without risking your sister showing up at your door unannounced”

“I’m glad you brought up the key subject” Waverly searched in her purse for the item she was looking for and handed it over to her girlfriend “That’s yours”

“You’re giving me a key to your apartment?” Nicole asked shocked

“Actually, I was thinking, since you already own half of my closed and spend most night in there, I think you should move in” Waverly smiled “I want it to be our apartment”

“Un…” Nicole hummed while she analyzed the key as if it was an incredible art piece

“I was thinking that we could turn Wynonna’s room into a guest room for when your sister and your niece visit, and you could turn that empty room into an office for you now that you’re the Black Badge big boss and we can redecorate the whole apartment if you want” Waverly swallowed hard suddenly becoming very anxious once again “If you think it’s too soon, it’s okay and I get it, I just assumed that since you practically live there…”

“I’d love to” Nicole said before pulling Waverly to a very non discreet kiss

“Okay” Waverly smiled proudly as she watched Nicole putting her brand new key into her keychain “I love you”

“I love you too” Nicole said

Waverly wanted to point out that it was the first time they had said those three words to each other since that first coffee date after the incident, but Nicole’s smile was too bright for her to interrupt the moment. The waiter appeared a few minutes later carrying their drinks and Waverly laughed happily when Nicole pointed out how she had picked the right beverage because that was the best one in the menu but ended up drinking half of the writer’s café because she was feeling experimental. The Earp woman also noticed how her girlfriend’s smile didn’t leave her lips for one second, and in that moment Waverly realized that regardless of what had happened between them in the past and how they had hurt each other, especially how Waverly had hurt Nicole, they were happier when they were together and that was worth all the confusion and pain.

They left the café and Nicole insisted they should drive to her apartment, now her old apartment, so she could pack everything and move to the penthouse that same day. Emily, Kiersten and Dolls were invited to help and the move ended up turning into a small party when the teenager put some music and ordered more pizza than the five of them could ever eat. Despite how excited Kiersten was, Emily didn’t exactly share her daughter’s enthusiasm with the situation, she was thankful that her sister was happy again but she couldn’t hide how preoccupied she was with the fact that it was Waverly who was making her happy and she couldn’t deny how mad she still was with the writer for leaving. Since the Earp woman was feeling very happy and confident, she took the opportunity and pulled Emily into a corner so they could finally have that long overdue conversation in which she promised the same things she had promised Nicole six months earlier, that she would try to show her she was worth it, that she wasn’t perfect but that she would never leave again and that she would do everything in her power to make sure the former bodyguard always had a smile on her lips.

At four in the morning Nicole threw out the last box and went to sleep in her new bed with her girlfriend. Waverly noticed how, while everything looked pretty much the same in her apartment it had a new atmosphere, it smelled of hope and promises, and when Nicole entangled their legs together the apartment was, more than ever, home.

/

Waverly woke up with a light knock on the door and she immediately cursed whoever was doing that at eight in the morning, but her anger vanished right away when she managed to open her eyes. She tried to move towards her girlfriend but felt every muscle in her body aching, Waverly also noticed how she had smooth bite and nail marks all over her body and when she looked at Nicole for any sort for explanation the woman simply shrugged, so she had to force her mind to bring back the memories from what had happened the previous night. They were in Vegas for the premiere of the third and last film of the Purgatory trilogy, they had spent the whole day with the beauty team and at night had walked the red carpet together, like they had done many times before during the five years they were together. The premiere had been a huge success and all the media could talk about was how amazing the book adaptation, done by the own writer, had truly captured the essence of the story and how Doc was an amazing actor. Waverly remembered picking up food from a McDonald’s drive thru to keep up the tradition and then going to their hotel room and that was when she kissed Nicole passionately, fueled with the adrenaline of a successful result and with desire for her amazing girlfriend who looked even hotter in the red dress she was wearing. After that, everything became a mess of memories, she remembered Nicole’s naked body on top of hers and passionate kisses that trailed paths from her mouth down to her center, she remembered fast breathings and loud moans and lastly she remembered coming undone one too many times.

Nicole walked slowly towards the bed and securely placed the breakfast tray in position before kissing her girlfriend good morning, and with that, the smile that Waverly reserved solemnly to the former bodyguard turned business owner appeared in her lips. It still amazed the writer how the redhead managed to do all those things at night and be completely sweet and caring the next morning and Waverly loved her for it. They ate in a confortable silence that occasionally got interrupted when Nicole would moan loudly at how good one food tasted, but aside from that they just enjoyed each other’s company. After they finished eating and put the tray away, Nicole suggested that they should make their morning even more pleasant with a movie date, an idea that Waverly promptly accepted, so they snuggled in comfortably before pressing play.

They were in the middle of the third movie when Waverly’s phone ranged and a loud Wynonna appeared at the other side of the video chat, inviting them over for lunch and a possible double date in the afternoon. The writer was about to decline the invitation, being incredibly confortable in her current position in bed with her girlfriend to have the slightest intention to move, but Nicole excitedly accept the invitation before turning off the phone and getting out of bed, leaving Waverly very confused to say the least. They were walking down the hallway, fingers laced together, Waverly humming to a song that had been stuck in her head for over a week when Nicole spoke

“Can we talk?” She said anxiously

“Yes, I have been meaning to talk to you about one thing anyways” Waverly said excitedly

“I’m not crazy right, I mean I think we’re ready” Nicole said

“Yes I think we’re ready too” Waverly smiled “I mean, I’m pretty sure we’re ready but we’ll have to change a few things to do it”

“Why?” Nicole asked curiously 

“Because everything will be different, for starters the apartment will be too small and we’ll need to move to a house” Waverly pointed out

“I like the apartment and I think we won’t need more space, at least not now, maybe in the future” Nicole pointed out 

“No but, when they come it’ll be messy and we won’t have enough room for everyone and everything” Waverly tried to picture how the apartment would look but it just didn’t look good

“But that’s not in the near future” Nicole said “I mean, that’s how it usually goes, but if you think you’re ready for that step I’m okay with it, I was thinking maybe we take things slow enjoy our new life and then do it, but okay”

“It’s not that much of a big step really, I want two so you can name one and I can name the other” The writer said excitedly

“Okay, whatever you want” Nicole smiled “I can’t believe this is how we’re doing this, but Wynonna’s version wasn’t that grand either and they look very happy”

“Yeah, they just went to the store and did it” Waverly smiled

“No? Doc told me he spent weeks trying to find the perfect one” She said unable to hide how confused she was with the conversation

“Wynonna said they just chose the first one they fell in love with” Waverly too couldn’t hide her confusion anymore

“Whatever, this is us, not them and I’m going to do it right” Nicole searched for the box and got down in one knee “Waverly Earp…”

“Oh my god what are you doing?” Waverly said shocked

“I’m proposing,” Nicole said like it was obvious 

“What?” Waverly practically yelled

“What?” Nicole got up “Didn’t you just say we were ready?”

“I wanted to get dogs” Waverly stated

“You’re making fun of me” Nicole said sadly “I have to go back to the room to… do something… I’ll meet you at the restaurant”

“Nicole wait” Waverly tried to say but the woman was already too far to listen “Hun, I think I’d do better with the dogs”

Waverly stood in the hallway trying to figure out what had just happened, but all she could think about was how stupid she looked, there was Nicole, opening her heart for her and telling her she would like to spend the rest of her life with the writer and all Waverly could think about was how much she wanted dogs. In her defense, she absolutely did not see that coming in any form or shape, they hadn’t talked about marriage and kids since one drunken night six months earlier, and even then, the conversation hadn’t really been a conversation but rather a two sentence dialogue where they both agreed they wanted to get married someday. And despite the fact they had been together for a long time, Waverly still trod carefully, analyzing every steep twice before taking it, terrified that she would take a wrong turn and spook Nicole, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that she took everything slow, incredibly slow. But still she stood in the hallway for long minutes, patiently waiting for Nicole to come back, until she decided to go to lunch and wait for the woman there as she had asked.

The writer found a very happy, possibly still very much drunk, Wynonna at the restaurant talking animatedly with her fiancé about the previous night, apparently they had made it to the top three most incredible couples of the months or something on a gossip website and the woman couldn’t hide how excited she was to be on the spotlight once again. The older Earp noticed her sister’s presence and immediately made sure to fit her in on the conversation, since, in her own words, Doc didn’t seem excited enough with the situation and she needed someone to understand how being on a gossip website for something other than her party days were such an accomplishment. Waverly was indeed happy for her sister and was about to congratulate her when the woman realized Nicole was not there.

“Where’s Nic?” Wynonna asked curiously

“She’s… She’s joining us soon” Waverly said without much fuss

“Oh no, what’s wrong? What did you do?” Wynonna tried to read her sister’s body language “Are you guys in a fight?”

“Not quite, it’s complicated” She said sadly

“By all means, talk to mama” Wynonna adjusted her posture in order to look more serious 

“I can’t believe you called yourself mama” Doc laughed

“Shh, let the woman speak” Wynonna said annoyed

“Okay, she proposed and I didn’t say yes” Waverly said without sugar coating it eliciting incredulous looks from both her sister and her fiancé “I wanted to get a dog and I was trying to ask her what she thought about it, but somehow the conversation got very messy and confusing.”

“How do you get a proposal wrong?” Wynonna asked

“It was a confusing conversation, it’s really hard” Waverly tried to defend herself

“Dude, getting engaged and married is not hard, it’s pretty simple actually” The photographer said

“You’ve been engaged for over five years, what do you know” The writer said annoyed

“I can get married whenever I want, we’re in no hurry” Wynonna responded in the same tone “But back to your situation. You love the person and want to spend your life with them so you just do it”

“Do you want to marry Nicole?” Doc asked in an attempt to lighten the mood

“Yes, of course!” She said without having to think about it

“Then do something about it” Doc said forcing the writer to work her brain to find a solution

“Okay, I gotta go now, can you guys distract Nicole all day long please?” Waverly asked already getting up from her chair “Keep her busy and entertained”

“Go, we’ve got this” Wynonna said excited with the prospect 

“And Wynonna, should Nicole say yes, would you be my maid of honor?” Waverly asked with a smile on her lips

“Of course! Now go!” Wynonna yelled

Waverly left the restaurant with one billion ideas in her head, determined to make the proposal a day to remember in Nicole’s life, but as soon as she got in the cab and left the hotel, she had absolutely no idea of what to do, she had the ideas and the determination but she surely did not have the time. As the driver took turn after turn, Waverly thought about the situation, that wasn’t something she would usually do, she was a planner and she needed at least three days to plan a simple dinner, but there she was, trying to plan the perfect proposal in less than ten hours because truthfully she loved that woman more than anything and anyone in the entire world and she wanted nothing more than to marry her, have kids, get a dog and spend the rest of her days with her wife and family, and there was absolutely nothing she wouldn’t do to assure that it happened.

First, she needed to set the mood, so she called the hotel staff and asked them to fix the room and get a lot of scented candles and white roses spread all over, choosing to believe that Wynonna would in fact keep Nicole busy through the whole day so she wouldn’t go inside the room. Waverly also knew that she would need a really good dinner, something that would make Nicole’s heart beat a little faster, and that’s when she had the brilliant idea of calling her friend chef from the restaurant where they had their first date, she could easily fly him from Los Angeles to Vegas. Next up was the ring. Waverly wished she had something she was emotionally attached to, like a family ring that had passed on from generation to generation or something like that, but the Earps weren’t that type of family and even if they were she was too far from home to get it, so she spent almost two hours walking around town trying to find something that caught her attention until she realized Nicole wouldn’t care for none of those things, she would care only about Waverly wanting to spend her whole life with her.

After getting a small and discrete diamond ring Waverly made her way back to the hotel. She knew she didn’t have much time to figure out the most important part of the proposal, but Waverly was confident that upon looking at the love of her life, she would know just the right words to say. She walked into the room and everything was indeed as perfect as she had imagined it in her head, the room smelled incredibly and the candle made everything more romantic, the table was already set in the middle of the room, simply waiting for the dinner. She texted Wynonna informing the woman that everything was set and she waited, and she waited, and she waited for Nicole to show up, and that was when she felt it for the first time since she started planning the whole thing, the creeping anxiety starting to grow in her chest and to claim her mind, and the more she waited, the more anxious she got. She stood by the window, observing the city, toying with the bracelet Nicole had given her over five year before and touching the small red box every five seconds as to make sure it hadn’t run away, and that was when Nicole opened the door

“I don’t know what’s going on but I swear to God you’re going to flip when you find out what Wynonna did” She said before noticing the room “Wave?”

“Okay so I’ll start, I’m sorry for being such an asshole before” Waverly smiled

“Apology accepted, now do you want to tell me what this is for?” Nicole asked genuinely curious and the writer wondered if she actually had no idea of what was going on or if she was playing dumb

“I have a suggestion, next time we want to talk maybe we should figure out what we really want to talk about and make it very clear to one another in order to avoid further confusion” Waverly continued smiling even though she felt her anxiety growing

“Yes, you’re right, I’m sorry” Nicole said “We should get a dog, not two, just one”

“Nicole, forget the dog, I’m trying to say something here” Waverly said half annoyed and half excited 

“Okay, by all means, go on” She smiled

“This morning you took me by surprise and I did something reckless but I’m not sorry our first attempt at a proposal went so messy” She laughed

“First?” Nicole asked before she realized what was going on “Oh boy…”

“I have a lot to say so bear with me okay?” The writer touched the box once again and gathered enough courage to proceed “I said this once and I’m going to repeat it, I fell in love with you because you make me want to be a better person, you make me want to be nothing other than amazing because that’s what you deserve. You showed up at my door with that black uniform over six years ago and there wasn’t a day since that I didn’t think you were simply amazing. Nicole, you’re the person that can be a badass police officer in a moment and the most romantic girlfriend five seconds later and that’s just the surface, you’re caring, sweet, kind, polite, genuine, smart, thoughtful, badass, funny and beautiful, oh my god you’re so beautiful. I’m a writer and I can’t find enough words to describe you” Waverly took a deep breath and got down on one knee

“I’m going to cry” Nicole announced

“I love you and I did not plan any of this because I didn’t want to rush into things and scare you, because I lost you once and the idea of losing you again is simply too much, so I took things way too slow but I love you and I want this” Waverly smiled “I wanted to make this perfect, with as much romance as possible, a night that you would never forget and then I realized that you wouldn’t really care about any of this extravagant things, that you only care about us”

“Yes, Waverly my answer is yes!” Nicole giggled

“I didn’t even ask yet” Waverly giggled as well “From the first day I saw you, you made me happier than I ever thought I could be and as our relationship evolved and we grew together, you made me see that life is more than just surviving, just waiting for the day you’re gonna get hurt. You showed me a new way and you made me a new Waverly. You make my world more beautiful and my life better, and if you let me, I will spend the rest of my life trying to make you feel the same way” She opened the box and continue “Nicole Haught, will you give the honor of becoming my wife?”

“Yes!” Nicole said happily 

Waverly’s hands trembled as she tried to put the ring on Nicole’s finger but it wasn’t from the crippling anxiety she felt minutes earlier, for the first time in forever there wasn’t one molecule in her body that was afraid of something, in that moment Waverly felt only happiness, the purest happiness anyone could ever feel, so the only reason why her hands trembled was because she couldn’t control the giggles that escaped her lips. Nicole helped Waverly with the ring, taking a few moments to observe the object and to get used to how it felt in her hand and she was about to start what would be the most intense make out session of their lives before she realized something very important. Waverly watched as her girlfriend ran into the bedroom and mindlessly tossed every single piece of clothing out of her suitcase until she came back with the ring from proposal number one and put it on the writer’s finger. Both women couldn’t hide their happiness, they were the love of each other’s lives and they were engaged. Waverly pulled her now fiancée into a passionate kiss that was only interrupted when the chef came with the food.

Needless to say that Nicole was pleasantly surprised with the presence of the man, and she pointed out a few times that for a person with very limited time to plan a proposal, Waverly had done it marvelously. As soon as the appetizers were served, Waverly took a trip back to their first date in LA, to how freaked out Nicole had looked when she asked her out, to their flirty conversations, to how Waverly kissed the former bodyguard for the first time and to how she started to fall in love right there. And as the dinner moved on, and the chef presented them with the same five courses they had eaten that day at his restaurant, those memories came back more and more vividly, the writer remembered exactly how beautiful the night was, how the moon and the starts illuminated the sky, making it the perfect background for Nicole’s breathtaking purple dress.

They finished dinner and thanked the chef for doing that for them and, although they kept their composure through the whole mean, as soon as the man left the room, clothes flew everywhere. As the night passed by and the sun traded places with the moon, the two engaged women let their hands travel through each other’s bodies, from sweet and kind touches that transmitted the love they felt for each other, to passionate and intense ones filled with their desire. There was no hurry while, at the same time, there was no time to lose, and so they touched and kissed for what they wished was forever, there was an unspoken urgency there, a need for the future and for what it reserved to come fast. Nicole’s lips tasted like raspberries and happiness and Waverly didn’t care at all if the woman was claiming her body once again, leaving more bite and nail marks because she was hers completely. 

Waverly woke up with a loud knock on the door and she immediately cursed whoever was disturbing her nap, she wasn’t sure of the time but by the way she still laid very much naked and by the way her lips still looked quite swollen, the writer assumed she hadn’t been asleep for more than two hours. She considered the possibility of completely ignoring the rude person at the door but, after the fourth knock, the person started to get restless and Waverly decided it was for the best if she just got it done. So she covered her fiancée with the comforter, dressed the first outfit she found, which was one of Nicole’s old Black Badge shirts that she had taken out of her suitcase the previous night, and walked towards the door where she found a very impatient Wynonna Earp.

“Finally! I thought you had died or something” Wynonna said pushing Waverly out of the way so she could get inside the room

“Please, do come in” Waverly said without being able to hide her annoyance

“You’re in such a bad mood, what the hell happened last night?” she asked genuinely worried that things hadn’t gone according to plan

“She said yes” Waverly smiled brightly

“You don’t look very happy for a newly engaged person” Wynonna pointed out

“That’s because you woke me up” She said without being able to control her smile

“That’s unusual, Haught stuff is a huge nerd, she’s never asleep past ten” Wynonna pointed out before noticing how Waverly’s clothes did not match and how messy the room was “Oh”

“Yeah, I was pretty happy last night” Waverly said nonchalantly 

“Okay, I feel like I interrupted you guys, I can come back later” The photographer said feeling very uncomfortable with the situation

“Don’t be silly, it’s okay, I was going to look for you anyways to tell you about the news” The writer smiled “You’re still down to be my maid of honor right?”

“Yes of course!” Wynonna smiled “I’m so happy for you guys”

“Me too! And I do not plan on being engaged for five years like you” Waverly joked

“About that…” Wynonna took a deep breath before she continued “I followed your advice”

“What advice? What are you talking about?” Waverly was certainly very confused with the conversation but more than anything she was really, really worried with her sister “What did you do?”

“Doc and I got married yesterday afternoon. Cher officiated it” She tried to use humor to lighten up the mood

“You got married?” Waverly yelled 

“In my defense, you said I should get married, you actually pretty much dared me to do it, and your fiancée was my maid of honor or whatever” Wynonna said defensively

“Oh my god” the writer took a few deep breaths to calm herself before she spoke again “I can’t believe you got a Vegas wedding” She laughed

“Really?” Wynonna arched an eyebrow

“No, that sounds about right. I can’t believe you didn’t invite me to your wedding” Waverly shook her head happily 

“Clearly it wasn’t something planned and to be fair, you did tell me to keep Nicole busy” Wynonna said happily

“What are you doing here anyways, go enjoy your honeymoon” Waverly said

“I wanted you to be the first person to know, and I wanted to check on the proposal thing” Wynonna said simply “I’m happy it all went well, you and Haught were made for each other, I’m really happy for you, baby girl”

“I’m happy for you too. Congratulations on your wedding” Waverly smiled 

“Congratulations on your engagement” She winked and left the room

As Waverly watched her sister leave, the room she felt every single butterfly in her stomach twist and turn, in one simple night everything had changed, and it all went much better than she could’ve ever planned. More than half a decade before, Wynonna and Waverly had started to fall in love, the writer fell for the personification of a puppy and the photographer with a party boy, and despite the many, many fights and occasional break ups, they had throughout the years, Waverly and Nicole were happily engaged and Wynonna and Doc had gotten married. Their future had never seemed brighter. The writer toyed with the ring on her finger, observing how the extra weight felt, noticing how it already seemed to be a part of her. She felt the corner of her lips rising to form a smile, one that had been a constant ever since Nicole said yes, and that would never leave her lips for as long as she had her fiancée by her side.

Waverly took off Nicole’s shirt and walked back to the bed where she cuddled up with her very asleep fiancée. As she felt her eyes getting heavier and heavier, she thought back to when she was a little girl, running up and down the house trying to eat as many marshmallows as she could before Wynonna took them from her, she ran up the stairs giggling so hard that she thought she might die and she didn’t stop laughing when her sister caught her, instead, both girls fell to the floor in a tickling fight and she sworn that was the happiest a person could ever be. She remembered how her heart sped up when she had her first kiss, with a boy from the football team under the bleachers before the final game of the season, the kiss itself hadn’t been exactly nice but she felt so at ease that she thought she would never be as happy as in that moment. Waverly remembered the day the publishing company signed her contract, she drove like a maniac towards Shorty’s and the men welcomed her with a big hug and a huge party with all of her friends and family, and she strongly believed that she had everything she could ever wish for. But the second Nicole walked into her life, Waverly simply stopped trying to count her smiles and measure her happiness because the woman could make her laugh like there was no tomorrow, make her heart beat at a thousand miles per second and make her wish for nothing, all with a simple smile.

/

She twisted and turned in bed, moving her hands up and down while trying to figure out why it seemed so uncomfortable without having to actually open her eyes to do so. She automatically moved closer to Nicole’s side and that’s when she realized the woman wasn’t there and the bed was too empty and too cold without her. She heard giggles coming from a distance and forced herself to sit up so she could take a better look at the person who was in her room, because she was certainly it wasn’t her fiancée. Waverly was hoping she would be allowed to sleep in so she could be well rested for the day, differently from what had been happening for the three months since the proposal in Vegas, but her very dedicated maid of honor had a different plan in mind. Wynonna and Emily had been planning most of the wedding together, since neither Nicole nor Waverly were particularly interested in the party, choosing to focus all of their energy in keeping their cool for the ceremony itself, but the two maids of honor seemed not to care about it, making sure to include them in every little thing regarding the wedding preparations. Wynonna was casually going through the binder in her hands, and Waverly could’ve bet she was making mental notes to triple check everything and to call everyone before they even left the house.

“Oh hello, good morning!” Wynonna said excitedly

“Good morning to you too” Waverly smiled

“Well, you’re less happy then I would’ve expected you were going to be on your wedding day” The maid of honor pointed out

“That’s because my bed is too empty” Waverly pouted 

“I can go lay down with you if you want, but we have ten minutes before you have to go to the spa” Wynonna said in a very caring tone

“Thanks, but I think I want Nicole” The writer said simply “What did you do with her anyways, I’m positive we went to bed together last night”

“Emily kidnapped her about an hour ago” She confessed nonchalantly “It’s bad luck to see your bride on your wedding day”

“You know that’s just a thing they invented when weddings were arranged and they didn’t want the groom to flee” Waverly tried to be funny “Which is not at all our case”

“Too bad I’m the one in charge of this wedding so things are going to go according to my plans” Wynonna said trying not to laugh at her sister’s dorkiness “Don’t be such a nerd and just enjoy me showering up with amazing things”

“When I asked you to be my maid of honor, I was hoping for party girl Wynonna Earp to throw me a badass bachelorette party” Waverly giggled “Who would’ve thought you’d be so invested in the wedding as well”

“I’m a married woman, I don’t do that type of thing” Wynonna laughed

“Whatever you say Wynonna” The writer smiled

“Now in all seriousness, you’re my baby sister Waverly, and you’re marrying my best friend. I want this to be a day you guys will remember for the rest of your lives as a great one, one of your top favorites” Wynonna said in a serious tone

“I know, and we love you for it” Waverly got up and hugged her sister “I love you”

“Yeah, yeah, I love you too” The photographer said trying to control her emotions “Now let’s get your lazy ass to that spa or we will be late”

“Yes ma’am” 

Waverly went to her closet to get more appropriate clothes for her day at the spa but to her surprise she found the wedding dress she had handpicked only a week earlier. She touched the fabric remembering exactly how she had fallen in love with it at first sight, it fit her body perfectly and it was everything she could’ve ever dreamt of on a wedding dress. She smiled happily, feeling the reality of what all of those three months of preparations meant hitting her for the first time that day, in less than twelve hours she would become a married woman. Despite of how well she had been handling her nerves and her anxiety during the whole preparation process, she knew well enough she wouldn’t be able to keep them in check when the day came, especially because she wouldn’t have Nicole to hold her hand, so when Waverly felt the butterflies in her stomach move a little, she giggled quietly to herself. Wynonna appeared not five seconds later to rush her sister so they could start their day, which meant a whole spa treatment with relaxing massages and all and then make-up and hair.

As her day progressed, Waverly felt waves of contradictory feelings hitting one after the other. She felt excited as they entered the car and saw a very uncharacteristically smiley Dolls behind the wheels and she felt extremely relaxed when she finished her first massage, but as soon as they drove to the venue and the beauty team joined her, she started feeling nervous and when she put on the headpiece she felt dangerously anxious. Waverly assumed that it was normal to feel that way and she was too shy to ask if everyone else had felt all those mixed up feelings when they got married and the only person there she knew she could be completely honest to had gotten married in Vegas in a split of the moment decision, so she bottled up her doubts and questions, choosing to focus on the fact that Nicole would be waiting for her. When Wynonna’s phone rang, showing Emily’s name on the screen, the woman excused herself to answer it outside and needless to say that when the older Earp retuned to the room looking as white as a piece of paper and announced that they had a problem, Waverly tossed every bit of self-control she had through the window and started immediately freaking out.

Wynonna tried her very best to explain the situation calmly to make sure Waverly wouldn’t pass out or something, and the writer surely did appreciate the gesture, but the more her sister stalled the less calm Waverly got. They were forty minutes away from the ceremony, Waverly was already pretty much ready and Nicole was freaking out badly, so bad that Emily had to call Wynonna in order to get help. The photographer tried her best to reason with Waverly, but as soon as the writer heard the problem, she was out the door running in her high heels and wedding dress towards her fiancée’s room, but fortunately she agreed to stay outside the door as Emily got her sister.

“Hi” Waverly said uncomfortably through the door “It’s me, Waverly” She moved closer to the door in order to facilitate the conversation “Do you want to tell me what’s wrong?”

“I don’t know, I’m freaking out” Nicole confessed “I’m hyperventilating, my hands are sweating so much”

“I’m freaking out too” Waverly told her honestly “I thought I might lose my mind in that room”

“Yeah, I didn’t know I could get this nervous” The former bodyguard said “I didn’t know what to do”

“Wynonna told me” Waverly giggled “I heard you even talked about running away, Emily had to physically stop you”

“Yes, I’m sorry” Nicole said sadly “But I wasn’t running away, I just needed to see you”

“I heard it’s bad luck to see the bride on your wedding day” The writer smiled

“I thought you said it was all an old fashioned tradition so the groom wouldn’t run” Nicole pointed out and Waverly watched Wynonna roll her eyes “It’s just that you always make me smile, you calm me down when I’m anxious and you know just the right things to say in any occasion”

“Why are you anxious, talk to me” Waverly said calmly

“I don’t know. I mean , I want to spend my whole life with you, but it’s just” Nicole took a second to figure out her thoughts before she continued “When I’m with you it’s like we’re in our own bubble, there’s no world, there’s no one else but us, and I’m very happy with our little paradise, but there’s all these people here watching us, and it scared me I suppose”

“If I’m being completely honest with you, I’m terrified I’m going to trip on my dress, or my hills are going to break and I’m going to fall face first to the floor and everyone is going to watch it! For generations to come!” Waverly laughed “Imagine, our kids watching the wedding video and laughing at their mom’s fall” She heard Nicole laughing on her side of the door and her heart skipped a beat

“That sounds like a fun Sunday evening” She said in a more relaxed tone

“I’m glad my disgrace is amusing to you” The writer faked a hurt tone

“For what’s worth, I’ll be there to help you get up” Nicole said happily 

“Good” Waverly smiled proudly

“Do you think we can hold hands for a little while?” Nicole asked shyly and when Wynonna nodded Waverly opened the door just enough to slip one hand inside the room

“For as long as you want”

And so they sat in silence together, backs to their respective side of the door, clinging to each other’s hand for dear life and finger intertwined, and they stood like that for long, long minutes. Waverly closed her eyes so she could focus solemnly on her fiancée, but she could feel Wynonna’s eye on her, wanting to get her back to her room so they could have a proper wedding. Nicole was the first one to pull away, her hesitation was visible both on the way it took her forever to let go and by the way she told Wynonna and Emily that they were terrible maids of honor for not letting her spend time with her fiancée, to which the Earp woman responded that if it weren’t for them there wouldn’t even be a wedding. Waverly might have acted all together and calm when she talked to Nicole, but she was just as nervous as the woman was, maybe even more, and those minutes that they spent together were a sweet relief to her as well. As she walked back to her room, she knew she was ready and with an impressive delay of only fifteen minutes the piano started playing, announcing to the few guests that the bride was on about to enter.

Waverly took in a last deep breath before she took in Wynonna’s arm and started the small walk towards the altar. The first thing that caught the writer’s attention were the small lights illuminating her path, she giggled to herself remembering Wynonna explaining why they should use the lamps, because according to her it was a metaphor for how her path became brighter since she met Nicole. She took the first step and saw all of her friends and family watching her, all of them smiled brightly, a few showing encouraging thumbs up and she could’ve sworn she saw Dolls wiping a few tears that escaped his eyes. But nothing could’ve ever prepared Waverly for the sight of her bride waiting for her at the end of the isle. Nicole looked magnificent, everything about her way perfect, from the way her long sleeve white dress shaped her body nicely, to the way her hair was up in an amazing tiara sort of way, to the way her always beautiful eyes looked even more beautiful as the tears escaped them. She looked almost angelic and Waverly wondered how she managed to make such an incredible woman agree to spend the rest of her life with her.

Waverly took a step and repeatedly told herself not to pass out or to fall and not to trip on her dress because Nicole was too far away to help her up. Two steps and she felt all the nerves that had gathered up throughout that day dissipating without a trace. Three steps and she wondered how many more steps until she could hold the hand of her best friend and marry her. Four steps and Waverly realized that all of that work, the three months preparation, the endless nights they spent with the maids of honor organizing everything, all the people, all the decoration, all of it was for Nicole and she deserved every bit of it. Five steps and Waverly heard Wynonna telling her how beautiful the bride looked. Six steps and she couldn’t hold the tears back anymore. Seven, eight, nine, ten steps and Waverly made a mental promise to always care for that woman, to give her a good life and to make sure she always had a smile on her lips. Last step and she was at last holding Nicole’s hands, and the only thing she could think of was how it felt incredibly right.   
Doc lead the ceremony with ease, he didn’t talk much, choosing to conduct a short ceremony but when he did, his words brought people to tears, people including the love birds he was marrying, and before Waverly knew it, it was time for the vows. Emily handed a piece of paper to Nicole and the woman began

“As I wrote this, I started to relive every moment we ever spent together, every smile and every tear. The first time I saw you, you were wearing a rather short pink pajama and a silver rabbit slipper and I was absolutely taken aback because I wanted to get to know everything Waverly Earp, and I didn’t want to waste any time because in that moment I knew you were incredible. The first time I kissed you, it was like the whole world had been grey all my life and it was suddenly gaining new colors, and my only thought was that I would like to keep painting and repainting my world with you. The first time I said I loved you was the moment that I realized you were everything that I wanted in life and that if I had you, I would need nothing else and I know we had our ups and downs but even when we weren’t together, you never left my mind. The first time I realized you were the one for me, the love of my life, was when we changed the message on the answering machine, you laughed till you were crying and my heart felt incredibly warm. I promise to love you, to care for you and to respect you every day for the rest of my life. I promise to always cheer for you and read all of your manuscripts and I promise to make sure that every morning you have a fresh cup of coffee in your hands. I love you Waverly Earp”

Waverly listened to every word, paying attention to every syllable, taking in the fact that all of that was for her. She watched as Nicole checked the small piece of paper only twice and she wondered if she had actually written those words, if she knew it by heart or is she was winging the whole thing. She somehow managed to go through most of the speech without crying, but as soon as she saw Wynonna fighting her own tears, she couldn’t hold it back anymore. She heard Nicole finishing her vows and she felt the woman kissing her check and suddenly it was her time to use her own piece of paper to read her vows, she took deep breaths to stop her tears and she started talking.

“I was always that weird girl, sitting alone in the corner doing her papers beforehand and never missing a deadline, the girl who always had a book in her hands and one thousand crazy ideas in her head, and I was always the girl who was terrified of getting hurt. I never took many chances or did crazy things because I didn’t want to break any limbs and I always kept people at a certain distance because I didn’t want them to break my heart. And then you came into my life, and I had never felt that safer because I knew you’d always take care of me but at the same time I never felt more afraid because you were the person that could really break me. I was willingly giving you all of me, unfiltered, unaltered, without any defenses, and the more time we spent together the more I felt both of those things. And I fell for you, hard. I start falling in a café, in Amsterdam and never stopped finding things about you that made me fall more and more in love because you’re everything anyone could ever wish for, everything I could wish for. And this fear was the one that caused me to make several mistakes along the years, but it was also the one that led me here today. Six years ago I made you the biggest promise of my life and today I repeat it, no more running, no more letting my fear get in the way. I promise to love, and care and respect you every day for the rest of my life, and I promise to always buy you McDonald’s after a red carpet event. You’re the love of my life, my soul mate, my biggest dream and I love you Nicole Haught”

Waverly finished her vows without looking at her paper once, the truth was that she had written about fifteen versions of it and she had picked one that seemed beautiful enough, but as she looked at Nicole standing in front of her waiting expectantly for her to talk, Waverly realized why she, a worldwide known writer, had such a hard time writing her vows, it was because there weren’t enough words to describe what she felt and everything she wanted to promise to the person she loved the most in the world so she looked deep in Nicole’s eyes and spoke from the heart, pouring in every word what she felt. She finished and immediately felt Nicole’s lips on hers, followed by giggles and excited noises coming from the guests and a very entertained Doc trying to finish the ceremony.

“I think it’s time now” Doc said with a smile “Nicole Haught, do you take Waverly Earp to be your beloved wife?”

“I do” Nicole smiled happily as she slipped the ring on Waverly’s finger

“Okay. Waverly Earp, do you take Nicole Haught to be your beloved wife?” He asked again almost unable to control his smile

“I do” Waverly practically yelled as she slipped the ring on Nicole’s fingers

“By the power invested in me, by the internet, I now pronounce you Wife and Wife, and you may kiss now”

The two women smiled happily as they kissed for a new and very, very bright chapter of their lives was starting in that moment and they couldn’t wait to see what the future had in store for them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story was a ride for me, from the day I started considering writing it to today. I had so much fun writing every single line, trying to capture the essence of every character and trying to tell their story correctly and today I can say I’m very happy with the result. You guys made it so much easier for me to finish this, with your constant feedbacks and inputs, and with your encouraging words. English is not my first language so I once again apologize for any mistake. I have a few ideas in my mind for a new one and I think I actually might post it, so keep your eyes open. Also, follow me on my tumblr itsalltoo. Thank you guys!


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